Destiny Bond II: Sacred Fire
by EarthBorn0
Summary: Sequel to Aura Sphere. Sometimes, we just don't understand, but we're determined to. We're thrown into something we're never ready for. However, what surprises us the most...is ourselves. / Advanceshipping, AAMayL, AshMay \ / OcxOc \ .
1. Goldenrod

A/N:

\EarthBorn nervously steps in, and assumes a false, confident tone\

Hello Everyone!

\EarthBorn uncomfortably takes note of the various different glares coming to him from every direction\

Ah, yes. Let me present Sacred Fire, the erroneously delayed sequel to Aura Sphere readable on Serebii Forums and .

New readers…hi! Thanks for reading my previous fic, and if you haven't, I strongly suggest that you do so as soon as you can. Be advised – If you don't like Advanceshipping, you probably won't like the Destiny Bond series either, as the shipping is of primary importance in the series. Anyhow, thanks for your interest. 

Older (not chronologically in one sense but the other) readers... Hello again! I won't make you wait any longer, so to aid you in skipping some random Author's Notes, I haven't written any. Actually, it's because I don't know what to write anyway. Alright, just one more thing – there might be a little retroactive continuity (retcon) in the story, and my modifications are hopefully for the better, so just try and bear with me there. Now I'm wasting time, so here you go…

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Chapter One: Goldenrod

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_"To see a _World _in a grain of sand  
And a _Heaven _in a Wild Flower  
Hold _Infinity _in the palm of your hand  
And _Eternity _in an Hour"_

_-William Blake  
_  
Most conversations wouldn't begin if it wasn't for the weather. What then, stops me from starting a story with it?

If you've lived in Goldenrod City for most of your life, you probably know how hot it gets here in mid-June. Sure, it isn't nearly as scorching as the Hoenn summer sun, but it isn't quite tolerable in any _human _sense of the word. Pokémon were a different story of course – a Charizard or Magmar would consider this climate as slightly on the chilly side!

Despite this, there were some people who _did _stay outdoors in this weather; for even the heat of the Sun cannot outgrow the passion of battle, and the spirit of adventure. Mid-June happened to be the time when the annual Johto Grand Festival was held. Coordinators and their Pokémon, as well as the anticipating spectators couldn't care less about the heat as they witnessed some of the most spectacular of sights, imagined by the mind of the coordinator, and created by the abilities of their Pokémon. The intense power of their combined efforts, as well as the burning ambitions of both the old and the young, created a symphonic illustration; a harmony unparalleled as they directed their energies into creating some of the most beautiful of artificially made sights. Those who sat in the stands – admirers, well-wishers, or simply spectators who preferred to watch these marvels in real life rather than HDTV – became oblivious to their surroundings while witnessing such exhilarating demonstrations.

But now, the year's Festival had come to a close. Indeed, it was a daughter of Goldenrod City who was universally considered to be a master of the art of Pokémon Coordination, and she, along with five teenagers, casually sat on a comfortable couch, in the much needed revitalizing air-conditioning of the Pokémon Center. So, we head off to Goldenrod's Center – A; the one located right next to the Grand Festival stadium. Incidentally, this stadium was often nicknamed the "Golden Stadium". Sure – one could say that it was named after the city, but in reality, it was meant to be the polar opposite of the "Silver Stadium" where Johto's Silver Conference was held. The immense interconnection between "Gold" and "Silver" was never quite apparent on the surface, but deep down in the cobwebs of ancient wisdom, the connection was pure and simple.

And that daughter of Goldenrod seemed to know that. However casually she sat on that aforementioned couch, there was always the layer of intellect…this process of curiosity which ran about in the neural networks of her mind, analyzing, abstracting and trying to constantly rationalize the irrational; A process we all posses, however involuntary it seems. She did know that some things were just too irrational to be understood by human intelligence, but still calmly pondered about them, lost in her own being as she absent-mindedly listened to the teens conversing in front of her. Her name, by the way, was Bliss Aurora, and her description is not one which can be given in a few lines – in fact, no one deserves that. Every character is unique and has his or her own story, and a part of that story is this one. This is the story of how certain events changed their lives and that of others, forever.

Recently, two of the teens who were currently chatting in the Pokémon Center had become quite famous, for slightly different reasons. One of them – the slightly older, masculine teen with a Pikachu perpetually on his shoulder had gone on to win the Sinnoh Conference. Naturally, an achievement of this magnitude at his age was considered commendable; After all, the Sinnoh League was widely considered to be the toughest one in the Eastern Hemisphere.

The other one – emerald hair, eyes and personality in general – was the runner-up of the Johto Grand Festival. Now devoid of extreme temperatures and the ongoing pressure the Festival imposed on him, Drew felt free to chat with some old friends, as well as simultaneously getting the opportunity to meet Bliss in person. One friend in particular, he was pleasantly surprised to meet. She had darkly blue hair, electric blue eyes and was overall, the youngest of the lot. Her name was Dawn, the very person whose mother – a Top Coordinator - had inspired Drew to follow that path. How was that?

'_Hold on,' Ash said, he and Pikachu looking at Drew and then Dawn in turn, 'you two actually know each other?'_

'_Sure we do.' Dawn replied. Drew nodded and then took over the explanation, ruffling his emerald hair in the process. 'You've all been to LaRousse City haven't you?' _

_The group nodded, and in the corner, Bliss gave a flicker of a smile. If Meir would have been here, he would somehow find a way to hijack the conversation. It was something about an intense rivalry between LaRousse and Sunnyshore that, despite all attempts of rationality, was not quite solvable. Ironically, many LaRousse and Sunnyshore engineers had worked together, putting Rangernet into operation. For Drew's misfortune, it just so happened that he was on his way to Goldenrod right now._

'_Well all those hi-tech changes like the monorail, the wind turbines and the moving sidewalks happened only few years ago,' Drew continued, 'And my Dad was one of the chief architects for the project.' _

'_So while they were working,' Dawn said, 'Drew had come over to stay in Twinleaf – it's his mother's native hometown you see.' _

'_Yeah, parts of the city had to be cleared and stuff, so I stayed in Twinleaf for two years.' Drew explained, subconsciously flicking his hair again. 'During that time I got to know Dawn and her mom - when she was still coordinating.'_

'_Johanna was a pretty decent Coordinator alright.' Bliss commented. She still looked a bit dreamy, but was listening to the conversation. _

_Dawn nodded while Drew gave a consciously respectful acknowledgement. Dawn had become pretty comfortable around Bliss after the Kyogre deal was over – not to mention that Bliss was a judge in the Johto Festival. 'Watching mom, me, Drew and Kenny decided to become coordinators.' She said, adding, 'I haven't met Drew since then.' _

'Well I should be leaving.' Said Drew, turning towards the center's automatic glass door. An orange hue had drawn across the outside landscape, signifying dusk. It was then that someone in the room, still pondering along the corridors of thought, came to a sudden, yet subtle realization.

'Just a minute Drew!' said Bliss. Her expression was perfectly normal, but there seemed to be a glint of inquiry in her sapphire gaze. 'If you really want to defeat Solidad the next time, I think you should give one last battle today.'

The emerald trainer halted, and turned around – with a curiously interesting expression on his face. Sure, it wasn't like he had any logical objections to the challenges – he was a coordinator after all – but it did seem a little unusual for Bliss to suggest a battle right now. What he didn't know was that Bliss wasn't thinking about battling him _herself _at all. Of course, she sensed that obvious misconception.

'Oh, not against me.' The Grand Coordinator said, smirking slightly. 'I'm just suggesting this because our new Sinnoh Conference champion –'she nodded in Ash's direction, '- hasn't had a good challenge lately.'

'I'm back!' interrupted a rather sugary-sweet voice. This voice belonged to May, who had managed to place in the Top Four of the Johto Festival. Of course, it wasn't an improvement over her placement in the last one, but this time, Solidad barely scratched a win – the match-ups being nearly identical to the Kanto Festival. Anyhow, a single second is all it takes to determine the difference between a win and a loss – and ultimately, it's up to you to decide if that close win or loss really matters at all. May figured that it did, but there was a factor of luck and unpredictability which would influence the outcome without regard for a Trainer's ability.

'Oh, hi May, and you Brock, you sure took a while.' Dawn said, welcoming the tanned, thin-eyed Breeder and the blue-white clothed coordinator, both of them bursting with shopping bags. As you could guess, they had gone shopping for essential supplies and fresh clothes – something they would need on their next journey, wherever _that_ may lead.

'Yes, but at least we got everything.' Brock replied with a note of slight exasperation in his voice. Obviously, he hadn't enjoyed the experience of shopping, with May consistently distracting him from buying the essentials. Ultimately, they ended up going in different directions until they met up again at the Pokémon Center's entrance, almost at the same time.

'So what did we miss?' asked May. She looked around, and suddenly felt empty, as though she was missing something that should have been present here. After a moment, she realized what, or rather, who, that was.

'Where's Ash?'

'Getting ready for a battle.' Bliss said, motioning to the Pokémon center's counter. There, both Ash and Drew had finished collecting their Pokémon. Unfortunately for Drew –

'Sorry,' he said, turning to Ash, 'but it'll have to be a one-on-one battle. You see, Butterfree is the only Pokémon that's completely healed now.'

'That's fine with me!' replied Ash, readying a Pokeball in his hand.

'But not with me.' Bliss interjected. The two eager battlers looked at her in surprise. Brock, watching from the sidelines looked a little puzzled. In the little time he had known Bliss, she hadn't acted like thisat all_._ It was evident that this battle had some kind of ulterior motive behind it. That suspicion was made all the more sensible by her next comment.

'Why don't you have a tag battle guys? Drew with Dawn against Ash with May.'

The trainers merely shrugged in approval while the two girls nodded in acceptance. Although the four of them didn't quite realize what Bliss was up to, Brock sent her a questioning glare. All he got in reply was a silent, 'Just wait a little longer'.

\/\/\/

The big and small flashes of light could be seen from the safety of the bush, along with all the characters involved in bringing them about. Of course, Pokémon battles are a lot more than flashes of light. They are strategy, quick thinking, aggressiveness, the fiery spirit, and the connection between a trainer and his Pokémon – all rolled into one. Understanding that is an art of the highest order, mastery of which is a near-impossible feat.

The three figures peering through the bush were attending not only the battle, but also another figure of interest.

'Oh look there's the Grand Coordinator!' the red-haired woman exclaimed dreamily.

'Yea, what'd it be like if wevs got _her _Pokémon?' asked the Meowth, his slit eyes scanning Bliss Aurora from the safety of the bush. Of course, Team Rocket couldn't have known that Bliss had already sensed their presence.

The third member of the group asked a rather more sensible question. You see, Bliss was not really watching the battle at all, but rather, she was holding a peculiar device in her hand which she was furiously analyzing. All this time, her eyebrows seemed contracted in concentration.

'What is that she's holding in her hand?' was the question. Naturally, James didn't know, but it was Bliss's PDA. What was so great about this particular PDA was that it allowed her to track the Aura around her, with her own body powering it in the process.

Why was she so interested in doing that right now? The answer lies in the tag battle, raging on right in front of her.

However, before Bliss got a clear answer, or the battle got a clear pair of winners, a gush of wind blew over the battlefield, with a streak of fire soon following it. This caused a layer of dust to disperse from the ground into the air, severely limiting visibility. A shadow of two humanoid figures appeared, while the same streak of fire went on, making everyone there sweat, caught and in general, feel uncomfortable.

'_Meir and Cynthia.' _Bliss sighed, slowly getting up from her position under the tree._ 'Trust them to make an entrance.' _

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\EarthBorn rereads chapter\

Yeah, I see it's kind of vague. 

Anyhow, I was unable to start writing this chapter until three weeks after I finished Aura Sphere, so forgive me, but I've got to regain continuity with the story. I hope the next one feels more "at home".

See you then! Don't forget to review!


	2. The Essence of Infinity I

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Chapter Two: The Essence of Infinity (I)

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_Rangernet, June 16th__- 2050_

**Title:**Operation Firebird

**Subjects:**

Bliss Aurora – GC Class I, (Umbra Certified),

Goldenrod City,

Johto (F)

Meir Aurora – WC Class I, (Umbra Certified),

Sunnyshore City,

Sinnoh (M)

Ash Ketchum, Class III Trainer (Penumbra Certified)

Pallet Town,

Kanto (M)

May Crestora, Class IV Coordinator (Penumbra Certified)

Petalburg City,

Hoenn (F)

**Status:**Awaiting level-two authorization...

/\/\/\

Bliss cocked her head to one side, eyeing the dusty figure, who, apart from being the World Champion, was also her husband.

'You seriously need to give Moltres a lesson on "How to land while carrying humans on your back."'

Meir didn't look back, as he was busy brushing off the dust. When he finished doing that, he murmured, 'You think that she'd let me _teach_her? Honestly, it's not that easy.'

Bliss shrugged, but helped him de-dust himself, giving him a peck on the cheek. Cynthia on the other hand wasn't so dusty – an advantage of riding on the back seat – and proceeded to help the teens get back on their feet. Drew's Butterfree completed this process with a mild dosage of its Gust attack.

'Hello Ash, Dawn and Brock! It's been a while.' Cynthia said, with a small smile on her face as she helped them up. 'You too, Pikachu.' She added, spotting the yellow rodent. The quartet plus Drew were of course, surprised at this sudden appearance, but for now they were helping themselves up and making sure that the Pokémon were unharmed.

'By the way Bliss, the crazy landing was Meir's idea.' Cynthia said an amused edge in her voice. Meir pretended that he hadn't heard anything, and Bliss only replied (with a slight sigh), 'I can tell. What, he wanted to test out some crazy physical law or something?'

'Something like that.'

Our quartet soon turned their attention on the new faces. They exchanged hellos with both the Sinnoh Champion as well as Meir. Of course, since they didn't know the latter (except by reputation, of course), Cynthia introduced him.

'Ash, Dawn, Brock and you two are – May and Drew, am I right?' asked Cynthia. The two rivals nodded silently, and Cynthia continued. 'Meet Meir Aurora.' She motioned to the now-cleaner World Champion who nodded back in acknowledgement. A series of questions, hi and hellos soon followed, and Meir got on nicely with the five others. There came a predictable wave of astonishment; the result of the fact that three of the most powerful trainers of the Eastern Hemisphere being gathered at one place. Another slight distraction was Brock's inevitable "reaction" to Cynthia. The encounter ended this time, not with Croagunk performing his routine "antidote" of Poison Jab, but more with Cynthia's tactful response.

'Cynthia,' the Breeder announced dramatically, 'it is with you that I –'

'You what know Brock,' Cynthia interjected, before Brock could quite complete his sentence. 'I would _love_to hear what you have to say, but I don't think it's polite to interrupt someone while they are talking.' She motioned toward Meir.

Bliss had whispered something in his ear.

'I think,' she said, 'that you better tell Drew too.' Meir quirked an eyebrow, and although Bliss didn't see that motion, she could feel how he felt – a consequence of sharing his unique Aura signature, through a complex interplay of the Law of Entropy. 'It's possible that Drew might become Variable Four.'

'Look here everyone.' Meir announced, giving Bliss a barely noticeable nod in the process. He had resolved to do what he had come here to, even though it was going to be difficult explaining something as complex as Auradynamics to the young teens, but it had to be done nevertheless. Only if they agreed, could he embark on initiating the normally-impossible Operation Firebird.

'I'm going to be giving you some answers.' Meir said, earning looks of slight surprise and then expectance from the quartet. Drew was confused, not having been a part of the events that transpired in Sinnoh, but the eyes weren't on him, although Meir noticed. 'Don't worry Drew; your friends will explain everything.' The coordinator nodded, and the quartet proceeded to start their story, following Meir subconsciously as he led them through the Festival grounds, heading to a more secure destination.

It was already quite dark now – the Sun was no longer visible in the sky. A dim path of silvery moonlight led the group of eight as the proceeded along a sparsely lit path out of the blinding lights of Johto's largest city. The ambient sounds of Hoot-hoots and Noctowls proceeded in making their journey a little spooky, but still pleasant. The temperature was a welcome change from the afternoon's furnace.

As the long walked continued, Drew was told not one, but two tales. Apart from the recent events in Sinnoh, Ash and Brock narrated the Sea-Temple incident which had transpired last year. Drew had never before been so actively involved in his "rival's friends'" journey, but he found that the adventurous trip perked his interest. He also found himself becoming increasingly conscious of Ash's, let's say, unique character. He seemed to be a magnet which guaranteed adventure, but at the same time, Ash always remained the approachable, amiable, confident - and sometimes silly - self. He now realized why May chose to take Ash's advice when he had asked her ... well that doesn't really matter now. If there was one thing Drew could tell, it was acceptance – no matter how much of a thick, impenetrable layer lay on top.

'That's a lot you guys have been through.' Drew said, as Dawn finished the story. How anticlimactic the ending seemed as they dozed off in the lobby of the Sunnyshore Pokémon Centre!

'I know that you helped saved my hometown once Ash.' He said referring to that time when the electromagnetic disturbance Deoxys had created caused the block robots to go haywire. 'When Rayquaza came and started on LaRousse's –'

Meir froze, causing the party to come to an abrupt halt. 'I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.' He said quietly. Briefly, May looked up, and was immediately drawn towards Meir's chartreuse eyes. It was ironical how similar they were to Drew's yet possessed almost none of that emerald polish – only a strange perception of warmth, and a seemingly infinite depth of experience and good faith. Ten more paces later, Meir announced, 'We're here'.

Looking around however, there was nothing to be seen. It was simply a continuation of the mildly forested land...trees and a few empty spaces.

'I can't see anything.' Dawn said, looking around. Piplup was following her gaze as he sat on top of her hat. 'Or are we supposed to chat over here in the open?'

'I agree Dawn, there isn't anything around here.' Brock said. He was wrong this one time though. However, Dawn's assertion of not being able to _see_anything was correct.

'Really?' asked Cynthia. 'Ash, May, what about both of you?'

The duo didn't reply. They weren't sure, but they could sense a weak presence. How? That was something they couldn't quite tell yet. It was as though something tingled in the back of their mind, telling them that this was an illusion. There was a brief moment where their thoughts became so perfectly synchronised that they could almost feel how the other felt – a feeling so mystical yet close that there was a sense of deep connection, interwoven between the mild mental networks around them. Another sense awoke...one that could almost hear the Universe talking...slowly, quietly...

They were brought back to their natural senses by a sudden jerk. 'It's alright,' Cynthia told them – apparently, she was the one who had shaken their shoulders, 'Don't overexert yourself.'

'Pika!' added the rodent; its expression was a one of worry.

'What just happened?' asked May getting up. She noticed that they were still in the woods, and that hardly any time had passed at all. Despite that, she and Ash had obviously collapsed – causing the other members of the group to look at them in worry. Well, everyone except Meir.

'I'll explain once we get in _there._' He said, pointing to the clearing up ahead.

The others, following his finger, looked at the clearing.

'But there's nothing ther– oh wait.' Drew halted his mouth opening along with the rest of the teens. Right in front of them, an oval-shaped structure had materialized...out of thin air. Whatever that structure was, they seemed to be standing directly in front of the front door. On the front door was engraved what seemed like a symbol...an emerald coloured tornado. Whatever the building was, it was evident that it seemed a little old, and unused for at least a decade. The overall makeup didn't posses a modern-finish, although one could tell that it must have been cutting-edge construction when it was built.

'Team Whirlwind's Johto base.' Bliss announced, walking towards it. 'You see, me and Cynthia managed to confuse them enough so that they ultimately split into two groups – the ones you know as Aqua and Magma.'

'That was more than ten years ago, we were only nineteen or something.' Cynthia remarked, also heading towards the base.

The quartet was in awe. 'You're saying that Team Aqua and Magma were once the same?' Brock asked, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. 'Maybe that does make a little sense though, since their bosses seemed to know each other...from what Ash told me.'

'What I want to know is how it can turn invisible like that.' Dawn said.

'Oh, it doesn't turn invisible.' Meir grinned, 'It's something called a perception field – you can only see it if you know exactly where it is and what you're looking for.'

'That makes sense,' Brock said, 'Otherwise; their members wouldn't be able to see it either.'

The group entered the building as the doors slid open, admitting them with a loud groan. Inside, it was quite obvious that the place had been uninhabited for a decade. Despite that, however, the building was still powered, and watered too.

'This place became a kind of secret lab and base for the three of us, whenever we were in Johto.' Cynthia explained.

'Actually, it was more like Meir's hiding place from my parents.' Bliss said amusingly. Meir didn't reply, but put on a small, wry smile. The building wasn't all that big, but it was large enough to contain a covered Pokémon battle field, a dozen rooms, a control centre, a parking lot and finally, what seemed like a classroom – which was their final destination. Team Whirlwind – being native to Hoenn, didn't maintain a significant presence in the Johto region.

Teeming with even more questions, the group finally settled down, sitting in the chairs scattered across the "classroom's" floor. Only now, it was apparent that it wasn't actually a classroom – but more like a laboratory. The various equipments in this particular room hardly looked outdated. On the contrary, they seemed to be cutting-edge, never-before-seen instruments. What their function was, it was still unclear to the teens. However, they could tell that the place hadn't gotten a fresh coat of paint for quite a while – although the general structure of the room was still fine, along with the rest of the building.

After everyone - except Meir - sat down, the World Champion, looking surprisingly at-home despite the place not being his popular element (that is, being in a Pokémon battle field rather than a mysterious, hi-tech lab) took a deep breath and started to speak. His tone didn't lack confidence, even though it was apparent that he was having a small degree of difficulty in choosing his words.

'Alright everyone.' He started, 'What I'm going to tell you all is just a very probable theory. I may be wrong in almost everything that I say, but for now at least, all evidence – experimental or otherwise, points that I am...correct to a certain degree. Are we all ok with that?'

His question was obviously pointed at the younger section of the group – Bliss and Cynthia were merely listening, but they seemed to know what he was going to say. Ash, May, Drew, Dawn and Brock all nodded, and Meir continued.

'Now, the first thing,' He said, eying the teens carefully, 'is that since what I'm telling you is sensitive information, I...' He trailed off searching for the appropriate terms, '...don't think that we should openly discuss it – especially when we're in a place likely to be overheard.'

The listeners nodded, and even Ash was able to understand what Meir was hinting at, given the seriousness in his voice.

'Lastly,' Meir said, 'what I'm about to tell you is complicated, and you may not understand it the first time. That's perfectly fine, because none of us – 'he motioned to Bliss and Cynthia, ' – could either when we were your age.'

He paused for a while, and nodded to himself. It was time.

'First, I'm going to ask you a question Ash.' He said, looking right into the trainer's amber eyes. They showed a little surprise, naturally, since it was a rather sudden question. Nevertheless, he nodded.

'I'm sure you've heard about the term "Aura" for quite a while now,' he said quietly, although the silence served to magnify his words, 'I want to know what you think it means.'

Ash blinked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see May and Dawn looking at him intently, waiting for his answer. Meir's chartreuse gaze was still on him – he was surprised that it didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. He only felt warmth, and an unspoken encouragement. The trainer began to think – he didn't usually need to think hard and fast unless he was in the middle of a battle. Pikachu gently got off his shoulder in the meantime, thinking it would make his best friend more comfortable. Finally, he gave his answer.

'I've...never thought about it, but I ... remember something about it being,' He paused to remember, and then carried on, 'a...kind of energy existing inside all things.'

'Well he is right you know.' Cynthia said. 'That _is_what Aura is, after cutting down the details.'

Meir nodded thoughtfully. 'I agree with you Cynth, and so Ash, you're right, but all of you don't know the details we've discovered after all this time the world has known the existence of Aura.'

'Details?' May interjected, a little puzzled. 'What do you mean?'

'Any physical law,' Bliss explained, 'can be broken down, rearranged and applied when you learn it in detail. But you don't need to worry about that right now – it becomes insanely complicated and I don't think even Meir understands it completely.'

'I never claim to understand _anything_completely,' Meir replied, 'it would be a downright lie if I were to claim that I know everything about Pokémon battles and strategy – I don't even though I'm World Champion.'

'Erm, can you continue explaining now?' Brock said tentatively. Meir and Bliss immediately regained their focus.

'Yes, of course.' Bliss began. 'As Meir was saying, the definition of Aura has been changing ever since we first knew about it from the very first Pokémon – Dialga and Palkia – right down to the specialized sub-species of Riolu and Lucario. It's – what was it again?' Bliss turned to her soul mate.

'Aura is the "Quantum harmonic oscillatory motion of hyperspatial superstrings."' Meir recited. Noting the confused looks her was getting from everyone, he quickly added, 'You don't need to remember or understand any of that, I was just formalizing the introduction. What I wanted to explain is how those strange things happened a couple of weeks back at Valor Lakefront.'

A sudden vision of remembrance passed through the minds of the quartet. Once again, Ash and May felt that strange "bind" – that force which seemed to connect them so harmoniously, giving a real sense of depth to their emotions. It was strange how that shield had cropped up on the beach...protecting them from the derbies of Team Rocket's destroyed "Groudon".

The "explanation" truly began when Meir drew that same diagram which his laptop had produced. It was a square with two diagonals. At the four vertices were the letters "C", "M", "A" and "D" in clockwise order. Branching from the "M" was another line to the letter "B", and much in the same way, another line branched out from the "A" to a new "M".

What was this strange square?

/\/\/\

Afterword:

Sorry for the rather abrupt ending, but there is another part to this chapter (if you haven't guessed from the title). Anyway, I'd like to make sure that I've done this one correctly before I go on to the "real explanation".

And yes, Operation Firebird is only Ash, May, Meir and Bliss. :D

Review please!

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


	3. The Essence of Infinity II

A/N:

Thanks for all of your reviews.

For those who are confused, the "box" is the same one which I illustrated in Chapter 14: A River of Light, in Aura Sphere. ( img338.imageshack.us/img338/7943/auralinkspm9.png )

This chapter contains a lot of "theory", but I've tried to make it conversational. Enjoy yourself.

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Chapter Three: The Essence of Infinity (II)

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'_Ouch!_'

'Be quiet James! They might still be here.' Jessie hissed.

'But this branch is very – muff –'

The two teammates clamped their hands over his mouth. After the twerps mysteriously vanished into thin air (quite literally!), the trio, a component of the Team Rocket syndicate, decided to report back to headquarters ... but it was not something that they quite liked to do, of course. Generally regarded as "utter failures" by the senior Rockets and their boss Giovanni, they did, however, valiantly persist in trying to perform the task which they had been unsuccessful in accomplishing - even over five years; capturing Ash's Pikachu.

Here in Johto, however, they couldn't escape the consequences of failure. The region was one of the syndicate's traditional strongholds. Anyhow, this only made them more desperate in trying to accomplish their task – and the whirl of uncertainty – and failure – always kept spinning around in their minds. But right now, they were "delicately" hiding among the branches of a large Maple Tree, listening to a conversation between two interestingly dressed people. Those individuals had an emblazed "R" on their shirts, although unlike our trio's uniform, the shirt was coloured a dull maroon. In short, they were high-ranking Rocket grunts. Interestingly, Team Rocket did have a small hidden base near Goldenrod city. It was quite a coincidence that it was located very close to the (almost) abandon Whirlwind base which currently served our quartet.

'Did you hear,' asked one of the two, a blurry man who seemed to be in his mid thirties, 'The Galactics have found something...or so some of our agents tell us.'

'Agents?' Jessie hissed, forgetting herself, 'Weren't _we_ the only Team Rocket members in Sinnoh?'

'Well,' Meowth whispered back, 'ya' could count Butch an' Cassi –'

'Found something?' the other man asked, interrupting Meowth's answer, 'What, more meteor stones? Bah! They're a bunch of fools I tell you, and everyone here knows that.'

The first grunt still looked a little distraught. 'I don't know, but we shouldn't be talking out here anyway.' He looked around, and luckily, didn't manage to spot the squad of three. Turning to leave, they were halted by a slight "crackling" sound, followed by the collapse of a particular tree branch. Looking back, the two senior Rocket grunts took on an amused expression, as they eyed their discovery; one which had crash-landed on the ground from the top of a Maple tree.

/\/\/\

'The square.' Meir said simply, as the others watched with increased interest. Sure, it didn't look complicated – that is – once they understood what the letters meant.

'Before we come to that,' Meir said, as all eyes refocused on him, 'I'll tell you what possessing the knowledge of Aura can mean, and what you can do with it.'

'It means that you become an obsessed know-it-all.' Cynthia grunted.

'Well if you're a bit like me, than you might.' Meir admitted, grinning, 'But the important thing here is to understand that not everyone can "_control_" their Aura as easily as some people are able to.'

'What does that mean?' May asked, blinking her eyes. She did realise that she wouldn't be able to completely grasp what Meir would say, but she did deserve a little clarification. Strangely enough, she could almost feel what Meir felt, but she couldn't understand that feeling like she could understand Ash's...which wasn't very clear yet either. Maybe it wasn't her at all – maybe his emotions were a little mysterious...maybe both of them felt somewhat confused at the closeness they kept on feeling around each other. But – that was for later, she needed to listen carefully – the answers might lie in this explanation.

'It means that everybody can't control their power over Aura with the same ease.' Bliss explained. 'Basically, everyone has the _capacity _to do it but it doesn't mean that they _can_ do it.'

'So why are some people able to do better then?' Brock asked, giving Ash a brief glance in the process.

'Well, the total amount of aural energy doesn't change...after all Aura is a type of energy itself.' Meir explained. He paused for a while, thinking. 'Are all of you familiar with Dialga and Palkia – the Pokémon who control space and time?'

The others nodded in affirmation, prompting Meir to continue his talk.  
'Well, have you ever wondered why they fight whenever they meet each other?'

'No, I've never thought of that.' Ash said, putting a hand in the jungle of his hair. Why hadn't he thought of that? It seemed like quite an obvious question to ask, considering that the two Pokémon are considered to be a "set", along with the third counterpart; Giratina.

'Well, as I said, Aura is a form of energy. Now the only problem is that Aura behaves very differently from any other kind of energy we know...more accurately, it travels –'Meir quickly pulled a blank card from a shelf and drew three squiggly lines on it, '- as a set of three unique wave patterns.' He pointed to the three wave lines he had drawn. Each separate wave neatly intersected the other two – but oddly enough, all three of them never intersected at once – they only did so in alternation.

'Now the other thing is – I hope I'm not boring you – Aura is kinda like a fingerprint, but much better; every single object has its own unique wave pattern and shape, made by these three waves in almost the same way. The differences are minute among the same species, but they're noticeably different among Humans and Pokémon.'

'You mean that you can tell if the Aura is from a Pokémon or a Human?' Brock asked, intrigued.

'Yes, but an interesting fact is, some humans have Auras which are noticeably different from the others...they stand out and appear like a dimly lit glow amongst an almost-uniform shade. That,' Meir pointed to the box, 'is where _this _comes into play.'

'Hold on,' Drew interrupted, 'you haven't told us about why Dialga and Palkia fight when they come together.'

'They fight precisely because they _don't _come together.' Meir answered. He tapped the card he was holding. 'Dialga, Palkia and Giratina...are different. They have the unique ability to coexist at two places on the same time. So do Celebi, but Celebi confine themselves to our World, and don't travel through the outer reaches of space.'

'I'm getting a little confused...' said Dawn, 'What do you mean by _our _world?'

'What he means Dawn,' Cynthia answered, 'is that Celebi, as a species may be _exclusive _to our planet. After all, we're not the only world there is; but Dialga and Palkia on the other hand...' she trailed off, 'remember what I used to tell you? Remember those inscriptions you see written throughout Sinnoh?'

'When one life meets another,' quoted Dawn, 'something new is born.'

Meir nodded. 'Precisely. Dialga and Palkia, along with Giratina are the entities of Aura ... they're unique in the fact that each of them possess only one of the three waves...and they're the source from where that Aura wave originates.'

'Hang on,' Ash said. 'Didn't you just say that they're at many places at the same time? So how can they be the source of Aura if there's more than one –'

'Exactly!' Meir exclaimed. 'That's the beauty of the whole thing! Human beings perceive space-time to be like a straight line, but it's actually not! What we see is just an _illusion_ of time because of the way we think. The actual truth is distorted and –'

'I think they get the point Meir.' Bliss said, quickly taking over, 'It is quite complicated – well at least for _normal _people,' she said, 'but since we're all not geniuses, could you get to the...you know – important part?'

'Yeah, sorry.' Meir replied sheepishly. 'You see, the problem is that the study of Aura is quite complicated, and it's difficult to understand what you need to know unless you've understood some of the basic things. So I'll just get through that quickly.'

Meir held up three fingers. He pointed to each of them in turn. 'Dialga, Palkia and Giratina. Imagine that these are their unique wave patterns.' He proceeded to interlock the fingers he had held up, and went on. 'When these three unify – which we believe was the case in the beginning of the Universes...' He got up and went over to another shelf, drawing up a large, framed image, '...we get _this._' He pointed to the picture, making everyone lean forward to get a closer look. The image was that of a horse-like creature with uniquely alien features. On the region where his stomach lay, there was a large ancient ring, with the diameter extending to his head. The head itself was flat, but showed a sense of wisdom...a radiance of pure will. Even though it was just an image, one could tell the alluring mystery surrounding that creature – not particularly intimidating – but like something from a fantasy tale.

'Arceus,' Meir said dramatically, 'Alpha, The Original One – whatever you like to call her –'

'_Her?'_ Drew asked. 'Arceus doesn't have any gender, everyone knows that.'

'Mother Nature Drew.' Meir replied, smiling. 'Does Nature have any gender? I don't think so – but we consider her, and the world as a female – and that's why I like the call Arceus one too; for Arceus _is _nature.'

Drew nodded, although a little apprehensive about the fact that Meir seemed to have addressed him directly.

Meir went on. 'Again, although the Dragon Trio is said to be a distribution of that Aura – or Arceus if you put it – the Original One still exists; much weaker than what she was before the universes were created of course, but she still does.' He motioned to Ash, 'It's what Ash here said – they're at many places at the same time.'

A silence fell over the group, where Meir took the opportunity to stop talking and compose himself. Silence has a language of it's own, and this one spoke of awe and wonder. A moment later, Meir spoke again, but much more quietly.

'There is a condition,' he said, 'where our laws of physics break down. We call it "The Singularity".' He tapped the picture gently. 'The unification of the waves and the four forces is a kind of that Singularity; the kind which existed before the Universes were born. The kind which is now impossible to attain – even if Arcues tried it, it wouldn't happen. All that is would become a point impossibly small – and all that will be would happen there. Of course, we wouldn't be there to see it.'

'But why is it impossible for even Arceus to do?' Ash asked, Pikachu pouncing back on his shoulder.

Meir eyed the rodent for a moment, before returning to Ash. 'Because the Aural energy isn't distributed evenly. It's called entropy – it makes things more disordered with time. Sometimes, the excess Aura finds its way into different things...or different people. And rare few times, it's noticeably more – and I've noticed four people so far with that extra potential Aura packed inside them. They can't _technically _manipulate Aura better than others can – as I said, Aura is energy after all – but they can do it more _easily_. Centuries ago, there used to be a council of Aura Guardians, where like-minded and able people trained themselves into controlling the Aura around them, maintaining peace. Of course after that a war broke out between the continents, and the Sinnoh region nearly conquered all the other – thanks to their excellence in controlling the aural energy signatures. It was then that the elite Aura Guardians – those who were the Anomalies, having that excess energy in them – gave up their lives to protect the peace.'

There was no interruption while Meir paused to catch his breath. Subconsciously, the others found themselves immersed in his stream of consciousness. Although Ash's amber eyes were fixed on Meir, his thoughts were flying to someone else...he was getting what the World Champion was trying to explain to him...it seemed too familiar, so real...

Meir held up that "box" again. He pointed at the letters which labelled the vertices.

'_This is it.' _He thought.

'Finally, as I said before – energy can't be destroyed. Today, some of that excess energy has found its way into these four people – three of which happen to be from the Sinnoh region – as it's connection with space-time seems to be indisputable.' He pointed at the letters. 'C is Cynthia, M is myself, A is Ash and D is Dawn.'

There was a predictable collective gasp as the others (apart from Bliss and Cynthia, who already knew) assimilated the information. Before any of them could get too excited, Meir quickly began talking again.

'Now, this extra energy is merely in the range of mili joules – and that's very less – but apparently, it has allowed us to perceive a little more of that Aura energy than those with normal levels. Anomalies also – in a sense – radiate this extra energy...so there's another part of the story...'

'I'll take over Meir.' Cynthia said, standing up and taking the "box" card from him. The eyes were now upon the Sinnoh Champion, who continued the talk with her soft, elegant voice. 'What Meir didn't mention – and that is the most important part of the whole explanation – is that Aura carries _information. _More specifically, it carries _emotion _in living things.' She paused for a moment. 'When Meir and I first met all those years ago,' she said, smiling faintly in recollection, 'he was a lost, scrawny boy – half his mind was somewhere in its own world and the other half was asking me where the nearest Gym was. Never mind that he didn't manage to qualify past the preliminaries – I beat him pretty easily back then.'

'And she's never beaten me since. Mostly because my understanding of Aura gives me a few tricks up my sleeve.' Meir grinned, nodding at his friend. She resumed talking.

'Anyway, we both could tell that our meeting was not by chance. The exact same thing happened with Bliss – whom we met under very unusual circumstances. Anyway, Anomalies are inherent in nature. We're connected by thin threads of destiny – not only us, everyone is. But, as Meir said, it's just more noticeable in our case – all we need to know is what to look for.'

'Do you mean that our meeting was already planned?' asked Dawn, a little uncertain.

Cynthia was surprised at her asking such a philosophical question. 'Let's put it this way,' she explained, 'People who are going to be together, or those who are going to make a good team somehow find each other. Meir hasn't quite managed to prove it, but he believes that anomalies are attracted to each other's Auras. It's also clear because the one Pokémon species that can detect Aura – Riolu and Lucario – have managed to find their way to three of us and I'm quite sure that Dawn will get a Riolu at some point in her life too. Is that circumstance? A long fated meeting? It's your pick.'

'Nicely put there Cynthia.' Bliss said. The Sinnoh Champion gave her a friendly smile in response. 'I'll tell you the last part. Aura is an indicator of emotions. I don't know how that works in detail – unlike _someone_ here who does –'she eyed Meir, who didn't react, apparently lost in thought. Rolling her eyes, she started again. '- but he's not going to give an explanation which we mortals can understand, so just take my word on this. Now because Anomalies have such a strong Aura they, um, _share _certain parts of it with people they get an emotional bonding to. However, they _can't _get bonded to Pokémon – because you know that their Aura's are different. So that's basically it. We call the people who get bonded to an anomaly a _variable _– I happen to be bonded to Meir, it turns out, by more than just wedding woes – so I'm a variable.'

'The important thing here,' Meir interrupted, 'is the difference of power between an anomaly and a variable. Anomalies tend to have a consistent, but slightly weak power, and Variables have outbursts of power for short amounts of time. That's why they have that name. Variables – I get tired of saying that word – grow more powerful over time, as their connection with their Anomaly grows stronger. "Power" here, of course, means the control over the Aura present in the surroundings.' Meir lifted up the "box" card, which made everyone focus on a certain 'M' which was connected to an 'A'. Invariably, May felt an unusual squirming sensation in her stomach.

'We believe that May is another developed variable.'

/\/\/\/\

Afterthought:

Yeah. No Ho-oh at all? Don't worry, there's still the next chapter, maybe with a little action added into it.

What is Team Galactic up to anyway?


	4. Phoenix

A/N:

Apologies for the incessant delay, but I barely had enough time to breathe in these past few weeks. Thanks for waiting.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Chapter Four: Phoenix

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

Silence. Again, this wasn't the silence of the ordinary kind. Since when was silence so ordinary anyway? If you were May at that time, you'd feel the glare as every eye was locked onto you. Sure, they maybe the eyes of your closest friends, but it is certainly quite uncomfortable to be held up in a central position like that.

May slowly lifted her sapphire gaze, tracing it back to Meir. She didn't say anything, but Meir nodded. She had understood. She had known that this was coming, but now she knew for sure.

'So,' Ash said, breaking the silence and along with it, the inch of straining tension, 'May's another variable just like Bliss?'

'Actually, all variables are different because they derive their shared Aura from different people.' Meir replied. 'You know, everyone is different; and since Aura is basically their essence, so are the variables attached to them. Remember, what we're talking about is just our – no – _my _extension on the foundation of Aura. The definition may change completely as we learn new things about how this setup works, but for now, it seems to be quite accurate.'

'Uh…if you say so,' said Drew, his voice reaching out from his quiet corner, 'But what does this mean anyway? Does May get special powers or something?'

'Not yet, but she might if she tries to. _Anyone _could tap into the reverse dimension and create a Quantum Tunnel through the dimensions, getting more energy, but she might find that easier.' Meir replied, 'What it means is simply that she has to be aware of what she's capable of. That applies for all of us actually.'  
'May,' said Bliss, taking over, 'and you Ash,' she glanced at the silent trainer, 'there's something we need both of you to do – if you're willing to help out, of course – but unfortunately, that's all I can say here.'

Meir nodded to Cynthia, and then said, 'I'm afraid I hate keeping secrets everyone,' he paused, 'but that's all I'm allowed to tell you. Even you Dawn; you're a bit too young to control your Aura.'

The young coordinator didn't say anything, but she seemed to have understood.

'There's something that the Pokemon Council has requested me to do, but I can only tell it to Ash and May at the moment.'

There was a murmur of disapproval, but everyone nodded in acceptance. 'Follow me guys,' Cynthia said, 'I have a little something you can all do to help them.' Dawn, Brock, Drew and Cynthia silently walked out of the room along with a confused Piplup. Pikachu hopped off Ash's head as well, and began moving.

'Hold on Pikachu,' Meir said, giving a small smile as the rodent complied and looked back at him, 'I don't think Ash can do anything without your help, and I'm sure you would like to stay.'

There was a brief pause as Meir went and dimmed the lights. Meanwhile, Ash and May were carefully avoiding each other's gaze, and only moved to make way for Bliss who sat down beside May.

'Look here guys.' Meir said, pointing to a screen which was illuminated with the newfound light of a projector. The light was arranged to form the image of a magnificent bird. On its head there was a crown-like decoration, and from its wings trailed the magnificence polychromatic phenomenon of a bright rainbow. Its body seemed to define the majestic, its wings seemed to be the embellishment of the skies; painted by a color so pure that it seemed to burn like fire.

Transfixed, Ash couldn't even blink, much less take his eyes off the bird. He knew what it was – only too well. However, he had never seen such a spectacular and detailed picture of the Legendary Guardian. Actually, it seemed to be more of a painting than a picture – but then, that was quite obvious as no-one had managed to photograph the bird, even though many had spent their entire life looking for it.

'Nice painting isn't it?' Meir smiled, 'Cynthia painted it. She's really good at it too - I am downright horrible you know - and because she has actually seen it, she got most of the details right.'

'I don't think we need to tell you this bird's name do we?' Bliss asked.

'It's Ho-oh!' Ash and May chanted simultaneously, still transfixed at the amount of detail that had gone into the painting.

'Ash,' Meir said, a thoughtful expression gracing his features, 'open up your Pokedex and see what it says about our friend here.'

Ash blinked, and his eyes felt cold due to the sudden moistening – due to the fact that he hadn't blinked once since he saw the picture. He did as he was told, and took out his double-screened Sinnoh Pokedex, pointing its camera lens at the painting's image. A second later, the Pokedex's calm, computerized voice called out:

"_Ho-oh, The Rainbow Pokemon. __It possesses seven-coloured wings. It is said that those who see Ho-oh are promised an eternal happiness."_

'Tell me something Ash, and you too May,' Meir said, a sardonic tone was apparent in his voice, 'are you happy?'

The duo flinched slightly. That was a rather unusual, although quite simple, question. Ash's head was aching pretty badly now, with all the explanations he had been listening to – although he did not really understand them – and now he was trying to figure out whether he was happy or not. Still, the answer struck him.

'Yes.' He said. Meir arched an eyebrow.

'You're happy? Completely satisfied with your life? I know the world's best trainer, and he isn't satisfied.'

'He means _himself_.' Bliss muttered, prompting Meir's expression to change into a sheepish grin.

'I think what Ash means Meir,' May interjected, although avoiding Ash's gaze, 'is that we're not, well, _unhappy _in any way. Sure, we're not satisfied and we're working towards our dreams but there's no reason to be worried or anything.'

Meir didn't reply, he seemed to be considering her answer. At that moment, Bliss broke out of her reverie and entered the conversation.  
'How many times have you seen Ho-oh May?' she asked.

'Once, I think. It was back on that day when we were in some kind of ruin, and Ash was possessed by the King of ...' she paused for a moment, trying to remember.

'Pokelantis?' Bliss offered.

'Yes, I think that was the name.' May said. Meir and Bliss briefly exchanged surprised glances. 'When Ash broke free of the spell, we all saw Ho-oh outside the ruins.'

'What about you Ash?' Meir said, turning to the trainer.

'I know I saw Ho-oh the day I first left Pallet.' said Ash, his eyes flicking upwards in remembrance, along with his fingers automatically counting the incidents. 'Then there was the time after the Silver Conference too.'

'And after that of course, you saw Ho-oh with May and Brock.' Meir trailed off. 'Any recent sightings – like in Sinnoh for instance?'

'Yeah Meir, I almost forgot! It was right before we arrived at Snowpoint – me and Dawn saw Ho-oh right after a snowstorm.'

'Pika?'

Ash looked up at his first Pokémon, who seemed to be confused. Then he remembered. 'Sorry Pikachu, but it's like both me and Dawn nearly forgot about that one. We were too busy trying to find cover in the storm remember?' Ash sighed. 'I guess I should have told you buddy, we saw him up real close that time.'

'It's obvious that you and Dawn didn't forget it Ash.' Bliss said, crossing her arms. 'From what Meir tells me, Ho-oh can manipulate Aura really well and so, he can easily interfere with the neurobiological switches in the brain –'

'Bliss!'

'- meaning he can erase your memories if he wants to.'

Ash and May blinked in shock. To them, Ho-oh was known only as the guardian of the skies; one who had fled his abode in Ecruteak City during the great war of the regions. For the first time after the others had left, they looked at each other. The intensity of the gaze made them quickly look away again, however. Involuntarily, a strange warm heat began to rise up to their facial muscles.

Bliss snickered. 'Don't worry you two, it's half love and half your Auras trying to mix together. You'll be fine, so forget about it.' The younger pair showed the faintest signs of red tinge on their cheeks, but it was still quite visible.

Meir waved his hand. 'Alright, now back to the topic. I think you two know the story of Ho-oh getting mad at humanity when they attacked the Tin Tower?' May and Ash nodded. 'Good. Now the problem was that Ho-oh's act of defiance upset the world's natural balance. Rayquaza, the Pokémon who was responsible for stabilizing the composition of the atmosphere and protect the planet from meteors, had to take over Ho-oh's role.'

'That,' said Bliss, 'led to the formation of Team Whirlwind back in our time; those creeps realised that Rayquaza was vulnerable and they tried to capture him. Of course, that's a completely different story, but it was a consequence of Ho-oh abandoning his post.'

'Do the Legendary Pokémon really have jobs like that?' asked Ash. He didn't seem all too convinced at the way the two older trainers had explained it.

Bliss smiled. 'Well it seems kind of odd when you think about it, you know? I wouldn't call it a job if there was a better word for it, but the Legendaries are naturally attracted to their own element, and so they try to protect it. It kind of becomes their work, however unofficial it is, and they do a very good job of keeping the world balanced. Call it some kind of natural instinct they have – I told you about it when we first met remember?'

'I, um, think I remember a little bit.' Ash grinned nervously.

'Good, it's not something so easily understood.' Meir said, playing with his fingers. The dim light seemed to make his eyes glow a bit, and the sapphire orbs of May and Bliss seemed to act like reflectors. 'You remember how this whole place is cloaked by a perception filter?'

'Yes...'

Meir looked up. 'Ho-oh's a genius Pokémon alright. No-one knew where he ran off to, because he relied on the exact same little trick.'

'A perception-thing?' asked May, 'So no-one could find him unless they know where to look?'

Meir nodded, but his neutral expression slowly changed into a smirk. He stood up, and spoke quietly, 'No-one can _see _him, but there is one thing that a perception field can't hide.'

Ash, not quite sure how he reached the conclusion, felt the answer barraging his head like a load of bricks.

'His Aura?'

'Touché.'

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**AVIERC,  
The Indigo Plateau,  
Kanto**

The Rangernet control room was deserted. Indeed, few people knew that it existed at all, and the mainframe's Artificial Intelligence was usually more than adequate at handling the routine world-scans for any anomalous events. A maze of circuitry and wiring ran through the adjacent chamber which housed the Rangernet mainframe, physically inaccessible due to it being sealed off, and ensuring near-complete autonomy in its functioning. Right now, the AI intently observed a point laying a little south of the City of Goldenrod in the continent of Johto. The AI had been instructed that anomalous readings in the area were to be expected – there was to be an agglomeration of several unique Aural signatures in that area, and it was to be no cause of panic.

Relaying an instruction a thousand kilometres above the world's surface, one of the three Rangernet satellite's made some minor readjustments to the positioning of its delicate sensor array. The bizarre looking antenna, with its unusual platinum-iridium tips and smoothly crafted angles, fused together with pierced pearl joints: looking very much like a painted Unown, rather than a remote sensing device. The satellite listened intently, catching the subtle waves of Aura on the planet below, yet missing the obvious sign of a massive anomaly – just like it had been programmed to. It saw, and it told.

AVIERC continually received this invisible message. Satisfied, the AI displayed a simple output it was performed to calculate as it sensed this particular change in Aura.

_RANGERNET REFRESHED OUTPUT:_

**Subject(s): **Ash Ketchum, May Crestora.

**Result: **98.6 acceptance probability. Moving on to Stage II of Operation Firebird.

Far away, on the planet below, there came out a cry, a cry of calling, shrilly echoing in the hidden valley. The Phoenix's call was being answered.  
The test was to be prepared.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

No one spoke again for quite a while. Meir and Bliss calmly waited until the two young trainers tried to connect the dots. The outline was clear – that was certain. It was only the colour which was left. Unfortunately, that was also the most difficult and painstaking task.

'So,' Ash and May said, almost simultaneously. They halted their speech abruptly because of this, but May gave a tiny nod and Ash took this as his cue to speak.

'So, um, you want us to help you find Ho-oh?' he asked, looking at the older pair as they listened half-focused, half-absent. 'Why do you want to find him anyway? I mean what are we supposed to do when meet him – _if ­_we meet him, that is.'

'For your first question, the answer is no.' Bliss said, 'We already know where he is, and we've already met him once. However, it was a long time ago and ...' she trailed off, not quite sure how to put it.

'...and,' Meir said, 'we need you two to come with us this time. It's a month-long journey; I'll give you the details about it if you accept, but I'll answer your second question first.' He paused as he strolled to a more comfortable chair and collapsed on it, sighing.

'The truth is, when we first began our search for Ho-oh, we found his location is almost no time at all. It's a piece of cake when you have learnt to detect Aura carefully, but the most difficult part wasn't finding him, it was getting to him.' Meir closed his eyes in reminiscence. 'He lives in this huge, hidden valley – well actually, it's not really that big in size but it's insanely difficult to reach where he lives because you have to travel on foot. Remember – he was the guardian of the skies, and has a unique ability to influence wind currents. I tried flying up to where he was – it's quite obvious if you see it, a big castle-kind of rock formation – but my Pidgeot couldn't reach up there, and Moltres downright refused to go.'

'Wow, really?'

'Yes, but as a trainer I knew that Ho-oh was giving me a challenge; and of course, I embraced it. The real difficult part – aside from the climbing and walking – came when I had to face Suicune, the Pokémon which, as the legend goes, was created from the body of one which died when the Tin Tower was attacked. I guess that may have been one of the reasons why I went - The only way you can even consider reincarnation is if your entire Aura signature is transferred or copied before it disperses off to mix with the surrounding waveforms. I don't have the faintest clue about the details, or even if such a thing is possible – it seems to contradict something called the law of entropy – but anyhow, it was obvious to me that Ho-oh seemed to know a lot about Aura, and it really intrigued me.'

'Not to mention,' said Bliss, 'the recognition and fame he would get for such a feat. But after we did meet Ho-oh, what he was tried to tell us made that whole thought go out of the window.'

'Well, what did he tell you?' asked May, tilting her head. The story was really catching her interest, revelling up that dormant intellect which had begun showing itself more and more when she battled. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't struggling to cope with it however; it certainly had been a long day. The Grand Festival in the morning, Meir and Cynthia's strange arrival, the tag battle which they had and all these strange talks they were having now at what was probably a very late hour. Yet, she didn't feel tired. In fact, she realised that this is what the two older trainers must have been doing for their entire lives – after that, she wasn't surprised that they were the world's best. Even though she could tell that Meir's voice was cracking due to his long talk, he still spoke with an admirable unwavering passion. Shaking the thought aside, she refocused herself, involuntarily glancing at Ash in the process.

'I didn't quite understand it myself at that time – and I was five years older than you, although it's slowly becoming painfully obvious now.' Meir replied, nodding to Bliss.

'The incidents that have been taking place lately...' Bliss recounted, '...such as that fiasco we had about Kyogre and Heatran, and how you guys have been facing all those Legendary Pokémon who seem to be somewhat "disturbed". Well, it opened my eyes you know; as well as Meir's and Cynth's. Ever since that Space-Time distortion in Alamos town, I've been trying to find out about your group – and Meir made an accurate guess that Dawn and you Ash, were anomalies.' She nodded in the direction of the young trainer. 'Palkia actually _listened_ to you! I've never heard of that happening before; the high-ranking Legendaries usually think that they're far above us mortals, much more so than young teenagers!'

'Hey, why isn't Dawn coming with us anyway? At least she should've heard what you had to say!' Ash protested.

'Her idea.' Meir motioned to Bliss. 'She thinks she's too young. I don't quite see how though, but the fewer people there are the better. Oh, and I couldn't let her hear this because it's not my decision; the Pokémon Council thinks it's best only if the people who are actually going to come remain the only ones who know.'

'So we have to go?' May asked, her head turning from Bliss to Meir. 'We don't have a choice?'

'No! We're not that mean you know!' Meir smiled. 'You can come if you wish to – or the operation is cancelled. After all, it's about your part in trying to bring stability to the world – it's what Ash has been getting himself into all the time, anyway. Despite all that, I'll have to tell you that it's going to be very dangerous – well beyond anything a parent would allow – but I've already talked to your parents May, and your mom Ash, and they're ready to leave your safety in my hands.'

'But there's one thing you won't feel, even after all the dangers you may go through.' Bliss said.

'Pika?' Bliss located the source of the voice and found that the rodent had hopped towards her. She gently picked him up, and began running her fingers through its soft fur.

'You won't regret it. And I think Pikachu's ready to come too.' She finished.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A/N: Alright, alright, I lied about the action. I didn't think explaining Ho-oh would take so many words, so forgive me.

I know Ho-oh isn't really associated with Aura canonically; and only the Lucario species and a few others, including Dialga, Palkia and Giratina can learn it, but it is a Generation II Pokémon, and I diverged from canon here so that the plot requirements will be fulfilled.

Any of you wondering about Ash's Lucario and such will have to wait till the next chapter, which I hope, will contain some action.

Once again, I'm terribly sorry that this has taken so long, and I appreciate all those who have waited to read this.

Till next time.


	5. The Adamant Orb

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Chapter Five: The Adamant Orb

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_  
"One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

'You can sleep the whole next morning!' Dawn whispered furiously into the nonexistent ear of her companion, Piplup. The complaining blue penguin sat on Dawn's shoulders with a rather glum looking expression. Sure, it was one o'clock in the morning by now, but they had work to do. The quartet of Dawn, Brock, Drew and Cynthia were peering through the bushes at a not-so-well-hidden rocket launching pad. Surprisingly, it wasn't quite far from the old Whirlwind base so they didn't have to walk much, but they were waiting for the rocket to finally launch. Ironically, this base belonged to Team Rocket and was, in fact, their only legitimate enterprise – the one from which they derived the syndicate's name.

'Why are we doing this again?' asked Drew, an unconvinced expression prevalent on his face. Nevertheless, his Roserade was outside his Pokeball and ready for battle – although it too shared the uncertain feelings of its master.

'Because,' Dawn replied, looking back, 'Team Rocket is going to launch a satellite that can detect Aura. They don't know that it's actually Team Galactic's satellite but they're launching it because that's what they do.'

'I know that's what Cynthia said,' Drew replied, 'but how are we supposed to stop that?'

Dawn looked at Drew with an unusually annoyed expression. 'Haven't you been listening _at all_?' she asked, crossing her arms. 'Cynthia said we all need to attack the rocket at the same time, and it'll deflect its course slightly so that it's knocked out of orbit.'

'Is it going to work?'

'Of course it is, no need to wor – look!' Dawn said grabbing Drew's hand and thrusting him forward so that he could see the launch pad. Sure enough, the hydraulic doors were slowly opening, revealing the pointed tip of the orbital rocket. There was a flurry of activity as the usual countdown procedure – a complicated process which involved an exhaustive protocol – was initiated. Like the proverbial tip of an iceberg, the long rocket was elevated to the ground level, its tip pointing towards the starry sky. The quartet was positioned in two different teams – one consisting of Brock and Cynthia, closer to the rocket (although far enough to avoid burns) and the other of Dawn and Drew, both of whom were supposed to be ready for battle. One thing was certain – their interference was not going to go unnoticed. Since launching the satellite was a legitimate operation, there was no legal means to abort the launch – seeing as Aura detecting satellites were classified technology that not even the Galactics knew about. This solution was quicker.

'Attention team, standby for launch.' A voice called out, speaking through the numerous loudspeakers scattered across the base. Both Dawn and Drew nodded to each other as they took their positions, ready to avert any lone Rocket grunt if at all he was unfortunate enough to pass by. Meanwhile, in the concrete depths below, Cynthia and Brock stood waiting for the launch. Accompanying them was an intimidating grey dragon – Cynthia's powerhouse which packed enough of a punch to level the entire base single-handedly. Garchomp stood waiting, her eyes furrowed into slits as they waited for a command from her powerful trainer.

'Blow it and move out.' Cynthia muttered, her eyes fixed on the looming launch vehicle in of her. Brock stood perfectly still as he carefully scanned the base, looking for any signs of sudden movement. Suddenly, the ground shook with the roar of thrusters as they began their mechanical warm-up, their distinct hum audible from a mile away. Liquid Hydrogen began to combust as the final countdown took place.

'Launch commencing in five, four, three, two, one...we have liftoff!' The voice announced. True to the announcer's words, the huge mass of the metallic tower began to acquire a tremendous momentum, courtesy of the enormous thrust which the rocket exerted on the ground. Cynthia sprung into action as she ordered her Garchomp to fire its most powerful Hyperbeam at the rapidly accelerating metallic monster. Most of the powerful attack's energy was loss in the confusion of the rocket's thrust, and considerably weakened by the distance. However, there was a noticeable, although minute, change in the rocket's trajectory – enough to make sure that it never reached its intended destination.

Satisfied, Cynthia nodded to Brock and both of them broke into a run back towards their hidden refuge.

'HOLD IT!' a voice exclaimed, causing both of them to stop. Turning around, they saw a blurry looking grunt with a large, black dog-like Pokémon by his side. However, he suddenly flinched as he noticed the tall form of Cynthia as she turned to face him. The grunt immediately reached up to his walkie-talkie and bellowed, 'I need reinforcements! The Sinnoh Ch-'.

He halted quite suddenly. The next thing he saw was his communication device shattering on the floor. The thud of footsteps could be heard as Dawn and Drew arrived, with Piplup and Roserade following up the rear. The scene looked surreal – for one moment, the grunt was calling for reinforcements. In the next instant, Garchomp's inhuman speed neatly sliced the walkie-talkie in half, returning to his trainer's side just a second later.

'Everyone get ready.' Cynthia breathed. 'I think they'll be here any moment.' She quickly recalled her Garchomp into its Pokeball, throwing another one out in the process. The familiar form of a blue-black jackal emerged from pure energy. This was, of course, none other than Cynthia's Lucario.

'You've got one too?' Brock asked, releasing his Croagunk in the process.

'They're attracted to unique Auras.' She replied. 'I believe Dawn might find a Riolu coming her way soon.'

Before the young coordinator could think of a suitable reply, a blaring horn echoed throughout the base.

'Oh no, they've set off the alarm!' Drew said. Cynthia turned to Brock.

'Brock; take Dawn and Drew – and get out of here. Let me handle this.'

'But you'll need help!' Brock protested, not moving.

'Fine. Oh, here they come!' Cynthia said. Sure enough, the silhouettes of several large Pokémon began to emerge from the shadows of the dark night. The flash of spotlights illuminated the area as they soon found their prey and fixed upon the cornered quartet.

'Roserade, use Magical Leaf.' Drew said quickly. The shrub-like Pokémon complied and gracefully moved in a spiral motion, emitting a beautiful array of petals. These petals quickly found their targets – the illuminating spotlights – and made short work of the delicate incandescent bulbs within.

'Nice work Drew – now I want all of you to crouch as low as possible.' Cynthia said. Though it was difficult to make out in the darkness of the night, coupled with her flowing black dress, she seemed to be focusing intently, her arms loosely drawn up in the direction of her Lucario.

'Alright Lucario,' she said quietly, 'you know what to do.' Nodding at its trainer, the Aura-wielding Pokémon thrust its arms forward at the small advancing army. In synchronicity, Cynthia assumed a similar stance, but she seemed to be focused on her Lucario. A brilliant blue/green Aura beam emerged slowly, resonating between the frequency limits of visible light. This pure energy manifested into a singular, powerful beam of extraordinary composure. As this beam erupted from a growling Lucario's paws, the Pokémon spun slowly in a complete circle, causing the beam to impact on each of the Rocket's Pokémon gathered there. All of them were incapacitated at this single stroke.

Panting slightly, Cynthia quickly grabbed Brock's hand while Lucario did the same with Drew and Dawn. The three of them got up, still in awe at the magnificent display of power, and started running towards the direction of their hidden base.

In those next few minutes, no-one spoke. Their work was finished – they had prevented the satellite from being properly driven into its intended orbit. The sky was still lined with the smoke from the launch, although the night made it quite difficult to see. The quartet didn't stop running – they could faintly hear the sound of footsteps closing in on them. It seemed that the entire base's personnel had been directed towards catching the unwanted intruders. After what seemed like an eternity, they could see the familiar faded paint of the (abandoned) Whirlwind base. Luckily for them, they knew exactly where it was, so the perception filter didn't fool them. The quartet gave a sigh of relief as they entered the main hall way. Both Cynthia and Lucario collapsed, their backs positioned on the wall for support.

'Are you alright?' asked a concerned Dawn, her Piplup jumping on top of Cynthia's golden hair.

'That...attack.' Cynthia replied, panting, 'It sure...takes a lot...out of you.'

'_Note to self,' _she thought as she got up, taking Piplup in her arms, _'remember to get back at Meir for his crazy plan.'_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

'It was nice of you to offer them.' Bliss said, yawning. The cool midnight breeze gently passed through her hair. Her maroon sleeping bag fluttered lightly in the breeze as she dug into it, reflecting the pale white of the waning moon. This was the central courtyard of the abandoned Whirlwind base, illuminated solely by the moonlight and the twinkle of the stars. The old lights were broken, and there was no sense in replacing them.

'I like the stars better.' Meir said, his voice sounding tired but his eyes unwaveringly directed into the night sky. Lost in thought, he clenched his blue sleeping bag as he got into it, removing his blue gloves in the process. His near-obsession with the colour aside, he made himself comfortable, and lightly closed his eyes.

'So what do you think?' Bliss asked. Meir smiled, his eyes still closed.

'It's been a long day, but I think the teens will come.'

'I'm _sure _they will.'

'Really? How can you be so sure of anything?'

'I guess there are some things which you just know, despite knowing that you can be easily wrong.' Bliss replied, turning her head to the sky. 'But I did tell them that they won't regret it, didn't I?'

Meir opened his eyes and turned to Bliss, who was motionless, observing the stars. 'You still believe that Ho-oh will tell Ash where the Essence of Space is?'

'Yes. But I still think it's insane that these things can exist ...I couldn't believe that a few switches in a Carbon chain, along with the Golden Ratio could make something so powerful, but there it was.' She stopped suddenly, her eyebrows contracting in concentration.

'No one's there.' Meir confirmed, whispering for a dramatic effect. Bliss rolled her eyes. She slowly reached into her dress pocket under the sleeping bag and with the same slow speed, she took out what seemed to be a smoothly-polished, orange-size gemstone. Meir's chartreuse eyes instantly focused on the mystical artefact. It looked like a diamond, but that was where the resemblance ended. For one thing, it was unnaturally large, and weighed as much as a feather. For another, it seemed to have its own light source – a light which was as fluid as it was blue (it just had to be _blue_). Whatever it was, it emanated an Aura unusually powerful for an inanimate artefact. This was the Essence of Time – the core of The Adamant Orb.

'Strange.' Bliss said, examining the orb. 'I'd never have thought that we'd be the only two people in the world who know that the orb in Eterna is just a replica.'

Meir smiled. 'The one thing I never told Cynthia, who, by the way, I hope is alright.' He frowned. 'I feel guilty for leaving those kids and her all by themselves to take on the Rockets.'

'Come on – they'll be fine.' Bliss replied. 'I'll never understand why you didn't tell her about the orb though – and why you won't let me. She _is _another anomaly, just like you, and frankly, she has the right to know.'

'Not yet – just trust me.' Meir replied. 'You're the only one who should know right now. If Ash and May _do _get the other Essence, I'll tell both Dawn and Cynthia, promise.'

'Oh, how romantic – the two of us being the only ones who know what could be the greatest discovery of all time.'

Meir shrugged. He slowly reached out and touched the mystical crystal. The contact seemed to electrify him, warming every neuron in his body. It was as if his mind had transcended away into another world, full of shining brilliance and the feeling of raw, unadulterated energy flowing through his consciousness. That sensation spread across to Bliss as well, as if both their Auras harmoniously congregated at the centre of the orb. The artefact itself began glowing with increasing intensity.

Immediately, Meir pulled away. Shaking his head, he landed with a soft thump back on his sleeping bag. 'Put it away, Bliss.' He said quietly. 'We don't know what will happen if we activate it. If it does what we think it does, there's no need to get ahead of ourselves.' The orb resumed its original dim luminescence, and Bliss carefully put it back. Neither of the couple spoke as their eyes slowly receded, arms gently entangled, bringing them into the depth of sleep.

/\/\/\

Afterthought: This is the first chapter I've written which doesn't have Ash or May in it. I hope that the change of pace in the first half of the chapter wasn't too sudden – that would be bad writing on my part.

Anyway, something new has been revealed – and that's the secret of the Adamant Orb. I'll try to avoid mystifying the object too much because I don't want this to turn into a fantasy-story, but I'm content to leave it mysterious for the time being. And no, I don't plan on pulling a GS ball on the Orb. :D

All that aside, I hope that you're not exasperated with all the different Lucarios popping up (Meir's, Ash's and Cynthia's), but I can't really help it.  In case you haven't played SSB: Brawl, the attack Cynthia's Lucario uses here is its final smash, dubbed the "Aura Storm". It's not canon in Pokémon, and suspiciously looks far too much like a kamehameha, but I just couldn't resist.

Till next time!


	6. Thermals

A/N: I'm not dead.

As a reward for waiting, you'll get to see Meir battling. : )

Review please! They really help in speeding up my writing; otherwise the story likes to take a nap in my head, nagging my lazy fingers.

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Chapter Six: Thermals

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Ash blinked: his eyelids heavy from sheer exhaustion. Despite this tender tiredness, he couldn't sleep, even as he lay on a cosy bunk bed – quite like that of a Pokémon centre. The problem was that his eyes were staring at the ceiling. Well, it wasn't a ceiling at all really, as another bed was built on top of the he slept on, supported by a sturdy quad of wooden pillars. He knew that it was none other than May who occupied the top bunk. Somehow, he could tell that although she was totally exhausted (with the Grand Festival and all), more so than him, she couldn't sleep either.

He looked around at what was (or had been), the barracks where the former Whirlwind grunts used to live. Some of the beds were broken due to lack of maintenance, and a general poor quality. However, two or three bunks seemed to have some fresh paint and fluffy mattresses – presumably placed by the trio of Meir, Cynthia and Bliss; the three of whom were now the base's unofficial owner. The former two had offered to sleep outside so that Ash, May, Brock, Dawn and Drew all got a proper bed – Ash and May had both wondered if that was the real reason (at least from Bliss's point of view). The young male trainer was beginning to understand a few things he usually didn't. Every now and then, he also got something of a mental glimpse – a rough picture indicating what others were thinking: something, he believed, was connected with his unusual Aura.

The young trainer turned silently in his bed, his eyes now set on the sleeping, yellow form of Pikachu. Warily, he turned his sight to his unfurled belt which lay in a dark corner – upon which lay six Pokeball, all containing (except Pikachu's empty one) his Sinnoh Team – the team that had won him the title of the Sinnoh League Champion; the most powerful trainer in Sinnoh apart from the Elite Four and it's champion Cynthia. That thought suddenly made him frown. It was almost certain that Cynthia, Drew and his two best friends Dawn and Brock weren't in the building. At least, he was quite sure that both Cynthia and Dawn weren't here – he was able to "sense" their presence like May, Meir and Bliss – what he had been told seemed to be true. Now that he knew about it, he really could feel – if he just concentrated a little – the rough and mysterious compass which pointed to his friends.

Ultimately, his tired thoughts brought him back to May – and the increasingly awkward nature of their relationship. He knew that even though both of them were the best of friends, would they be able to pull through this new challenge? Would May agree to go and meet the Legendary Ho-oh? Ash knew that _he _certainly did want to go, but he also knew that if May didn't, he wouldn't try and force her, even the slightest.

'Ash?' May asked quietly, almost in a whisper, but clearly audible nevertheless. Her tone contained a certain amount of apprehension, but clearly there was no other emotion in it apart from a very special tenderness it seemed to have acquired.

Ash closed his eyes; his mind began projecting May's image into his consciousness, allowing him to visualize the conversation. He found out that May's voice seemed to hold a lot more warmth than the empty silence.

'What is it May?' he replied, quietly.

'Ash.' May repeated, pausing again. 'What are we going to... you know?' she finished, knowing that he would obviously get the topic of the conversation. She wanted to know Ash's thoughts, without any preconceptions she had about their forthcoming journey. If he wanted to go, she would go too. Obviously, _that_ thought did seem to overwhelm her slightly. It had always been Ash who was put in these kind of situations, and it was only him who could deal with adventures of this magnitude. Still, she wasn't exactly an amateur to the Trainer's way of life anymore, and she was sure that with Meir and Bliss accompanying them, they shouldn't face too many problems.

'I don't know May.' He replied from the lower bunk. Carefully, his hand drifted towards Pikachu's soft fur as he gently stroked the Pokémon, making it mumble cutely in its sleep. May didn't reply, so he carried on. 'I don't know because if you or our Pokémon get hurt, it'd be my fault for bringing you. But I really do want to go.' Ash said truthfully.

'Then I'm coming with you.' May announced. 'There's no point running away from an adventure is there?'

Ash smiled weakly. 'No, there isn't.' It wasn't like he could have expected another answer from May anyway. He should have known – she would be there to support him no matter what kind of situation he was put in.

'Thanks May. Goodnight.' Ash said, yawning.

'Goodnight Ash.' May whispered back, 'I think – well never mind. Sweet dreams.'

And with that, the two trainers feel into the depths of sleep. Not in the least bit worried about their entangled paths, the two of them had the best sleep in quite a long while.

/\/\/\/\

Yawning, Ash woke up to the streaming light of the morning sun. The air was certainly a lot cooler now compared to the scorching heat of the previous day. There seemed to be a particularly strong wind outside, which was making the window rattle violently. Ash sat upright on his bed for a moment, but he soon got annoyed with the violent rattling. It wasn't quite an earthquake though: the ground wasn't shaking – no wait...it was shaking, and the rattling was getting louder and louder.

Eyes wide open now, Ash leaped out of the bed. He was just about to call out for May when the latter nearly landed on him. She seemed to have noticed the rattling too and had jumped down from her place in the bed's top bunk. Ash couldn't help notice May's radiant freshness despite her uncombed hair and wrinkled clothes – not that they had the time to worry about that right now. Nodding briefly to each other, the two dashed out of their room. A quick glance revealed that the others were already up – in any case, the other beds were definitely ruffled up, and not neatly laid like they had been earlier.

Retracing their steps to the entrance of their makeshift base, they were greeted by a great gust of wind. Coupled with the rapidly vibrating ground, they nearly fell over, but managed to catch their balance at the last second. Rubbing his eyes, Ash's mouth flew open as he identified the source of the disturbance: a Pokémon battle. One like he didn't know could exist.

Ash recognized one of the battlers instantly; after all, it was the one which first caught his attention. It was a familiar azure bird of great proportions. Merely being in its presence would cool down the most heated anger. Its icy beauty, coupled with the graceful sweeps of giant wings made it a sight to behold.

Articuno's opponent was a much smaller, much darker circular disk.

With eyes. And a maniacal grin.

It was one of those rare Pokémon which possessed no inherent weakness. The Spiritomb seemed to be holding out well again the legendary bird, but a deeper glance revealed the definite symptoms of a creature who had taken a beating.

'Ash! May!' The duo looked around trying to identify the source of the voice. A certain blue haired coordinator waved at them, clutching onto her beanie hat, her long hair waving wildly in the intense wind. Sitting next to her was the tanned Breeder, who seemed to be intently watching the battle, but gave his friends a wave. Luckily, the rocky bench they were sitting on seemed to be designed to handle a lot of punishment, and didn't crumble due to the earth's induced quavering. Bliss seemed to be standing, leaning casually against the wall of the base. However, she was careful to hold onto something, and smiled at the approaching trainers. Another emerald-haired trainer just stared at the battle ground, transfixed.

The duo quickly joined up with their friends, relieved that they were able to make the short sprint.

'What's going on?' May asked, a note of panic apparent in her voice. 'Where are Meir and Cynthia?'

The three onlookers didn't reply but simply pointed towards the battle. Sure enough the two Pokémon masters were battling it out in a one-of-a-kind matchup. It was quite evident why they were considered the best – their battle seemed to rage on an entirely new horizon; and the two were completely involved in it as well. Waves of light and sound seemed to constantly radiate from the battleground outwards, before knitting themselves into an invisible fabric that seemed to weave around them. The onlookers were affected in the way of a squirming sensation in their stomach, and a slight dizziness in their heads.

'Divert!' Cynthia announced, her eyes moving up and down the field, not missing a single detail. 'Spiritomb, follow my line!'

Not having a clue what she meant, Dawn sent out a small gasp as the dark Pokémon weaved in and out of the battlefield at incredible pace. Its motions were irregular, but also seemed to be perfectly planned – almost like it was being precisely controlled. The waves coming out from the battle seemed to oscillate in a periodic rhythm – maybe that was what guided Spiritomb so perfectly?

There wasn't much time to think as the purple blur danced toward the unsuspecting Articuno. It was faster than a canon ball as it was just about to make it –

'Double team.' Meir whispered. Cynthia didn't hear it, and so obviously, the squad of spectators didn't either. Anyhow, Articuno strangely did, and that's what really matters. The great bird projected several illusions of itself, but only a split second after a certain purple Pokémon managed to scratch it.

Meir looked up at Cynthia, smirking. 'Haven't seen that in a while Cynth.' He said, his tone possessing the essence of a tease. His eyes however, lightly flickered around the makeshift arena; the chartreuse gaze didn't miss anything. 'Looks like you're serious about the ice cream.'

'What, did she say ice cream?' May asked, her thoughts spoken out load unintentionally.

Back at the arena, Cynthia returned the smirk. 'Behind you.' Meir's eyes widened as the flash of purple quickly dispelled the illusionary birds. Clenching his fists, he seemed to pull the real Articuno out of the way by willpower alone. However, the damage was already done as his action was slightly delayed.

Once again, the invisible fabric around the arena seemed to change its pattern. Vibrating intensely, streams of blue and yellow seemed to flicker into existence, only to recede again. Meir quickly lifted his left hand and pointed it towards the ground.

'Ice beam...the whole ground.' Meir said. The bird complied as it opened its beak. A while-blue beam came out, rapidly condensing the air's moisture content. A fine layer of ice spread itself neatly over the ground. The wind – which the other realised was caused by that invisible fabric – seemed to chill as the ice cooled everything down.

Cynthia's eyebrows furrowed. Meir was up to something. Whenever he was up to something, he carried a very distinctive smirking expression he reserved for a battle-winning strategy. Nevertheless she still taunted, 'What is it now, relying on brute force?'

Meir smiled calmly. 'You know that I learnt that lesson a _long _time ago.' He proceeded to look into Articuno's eyes. The bird seemed to be happy as it realized what it's friend was doing. Friend – not trainer. Even Meir wasn't suited for that title.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. 'Spiritomb, keep it going – change to Dark Pulse!'

An ominous chill – not that of ice – began to settle into that invisible fabric. Ash, May and Dawn were rapidly beginning to understand – although subconsciously – what those intricate movements were and how they could be interpreted. This one could be interpreted as something nasty. That wasn't to say that Brock and Drew were oblivious to the sensation though.

Spiritomb began firing pulses of a dark nature, true to the name of the attack, in rapid succession. However, to everyone's great surprise, Articuno dodged them seemingly effortlessly.

Frustrated, Cynthia began mentally guiding her Pokémon, something with the spoken word, slowly upwards, closer and closer to the legendary bird.

However, the bird still maintained a relatively haphazard movement, which made Meir's next move all the more surprising.

'Blizzard.' Meir said quickly. A flash of blue latter, Cynthia's eyes widened as Articuno chilled her helpless Pokémon into a nicely carved icicle, sending it thrashing to the floor.

Cynthia sighed as she recalled her Pokémon in a flash of red light. She looked gingerly at the Ultra ball in her hand. 'Almost there Spiritomb; but thanks for a great fight.'

Meanwhile Meir waved his hand at the departing legendary bird. Giving a melodious chirp, the great blue Pokémon flapped its wings, gracefully heading out towards the horizon.

'Thermals.' Cynthia said looking at the ice. 'I should have known.'

'Careful Cynth, it's quite slippery.' Meir chuckled. 'I'm glad you figured it out though, even if it was too late.'

The two trainers slowly walked over to where the rest of the group was. The wind died down to a more natural light breeze. Even the invisible fabric seemed to recede into the background and gradually would out.

'Wow, that was THE most awesome battle ever!' Ash exclaimed as the two finally made it to the stony bench at the entrance. Bliss made her way towards Cynthia.

'If you're in for some _ice cream,'_ she emphasized, 'we can head over to my parent's place right now.'

'Sounds great, let's all go!' Meir said. He began walking the on a new trail and the others followed. It wasn't the same route they came by. 'I haven't seen Cynthia pull out her zigzag modification for some time now – it still works like a charm.'

Bliss froze. 'Meir, I gave you the keys didn't I?' She sighed in relief as he held them up. 'I'm from Goldenrod remember? My parents are on vacation right now.' She said, seeing the confused looks she got from the younger members of their group. 'We were planning to go there yesterday, but we hadn't seen our Whirlwind base for a while, so we took you guys there.'

'Um, I kinda have a question?' May asked. 'How did Articuno manage to dodge all those attacks so easily? Was it something about the ice?'

'Tactics May.' Meir replied grinning. 'You need to analyze the – '

'Hold it Meir, you'll confuse her.' Cynthia said. Bliss giggled.

'Think of it this way – what happens to the temperature when you freeze something?'

'It goes down?' Dawn suggested.

'Right, but the Sun heats up the ice again.' Bliss replied. 'The hot air rises up – I think you know that – and flying-type Pokémon have the ability to sense that hot air: they're called thermals, and they use the hot air for navigating.'

'But they can also tell in which parts the air is cool.' Brock said, nodding in understanding. 'So whenever Spiritomb is below Articuno, aiming for a hit, the heat difference would give it away, even though Articuno couldn't see it coming from behind.'

'You got it Brock.' Cynthia smiled. 'There's a lot of things about the battle we'll talk about – like how Aura could increase Articuno's detection power, how Spiritomb could move that fast; it's all about using Aura to our advantage in a Pokémon battle.'

'So that wind, and that waving air ...' Ash trailed off.

'Yup, all that was Aura at work. But first,' Cynthia winked, 'for some ice cream.'

'Hey Ash, May; come over here.' Meir called out from the front of the group. The duo quickly caught up with him.

'So,' Meir said quietly, 'What's it gonna be?'

'We're coming with you.' Ash stated. May nodded. Meir only smiled.

'We'll leave in two days.'

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Afterthought:

Fillers end soon. I don't know what you guys consider fillers though, so depends on your POV.

Like I said, my fingers seem to like reviews, and don't like to type without a fair incentive. ;)


	7. Ice Cream

A/N: I meant to update last month. Life doesn't seem to play out, sadly.

I'd like to quickly update character ages as of now. There's likely to be a bit of retcon here, but disregard it for the story's sake.

Meir : 28

Bliss : 27

Cynthia: 28

Ash: 15

May: 13

Dawn: 11

Brock: 20 (Yes he has de-aged :D)

Drew: 13

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Chapter Seven: Ice Cream

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Goldenrod was a very big city. In fact, it was the largest city of the Johto continent, and it only seemed to have grown larger from the time Ash and Brock had last seen it: over two years ago when the Pikachu trainer had been younger, and had set out on the goal of conquering the Silver Conference.

However, it was still only a few years ago, so it was a remarkable sight to see the city growing around one-and-half times its size in that small timespan. Granted, it wasn't really expanding anymore, but the fact remained that the rapid increment was a little intimidating. It was always a strange experience for Pokémon Trainers when they arrived at the sight of civilization from the untamed wilderness. This was multiplied in the case of massive human sanctuaries like the one they were currently walking in. Fortunately, they had a guide with them and thankfully, she claimed that her house wasn't very far into the city – merely in one of the outer suburbs they were close to.

The group was fairly quiet on their journey, using their eyes rather than their voice chords. The streets didn't seem to have a lot of traffic in the wake of the rising sun. This was a Sunday, and for most in the city, that equaled to the luxury of lying in bed for an hour longer. The air was filled with the tangible aroma of industry – the smoky, stiff haze that seemed to envelop the local atmosphere. The three trainee coordinators of the group, not having visited the city before, had passed the time quietly observing the surroundings. They weren't anywhere near the business districts, but the change in scenery to a suburban society was quite welcome after weeks in the wilderness, followed by another in the confinement of the Golden Stadium area.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a rather upbeat part of the city. Walking more slowly, they eventually reached their destination. Looking up, the team saw something that could best be described as an elegant little mansion. It certainly seemed well maintained with the rays of the morning sun giving it a shiny gleam. Bliss walked ahead and gently opened the main gate: a simple - yet elegant - design that swung open noiselessly, admitting the squad of tired warriors, so to speak. There was a moderately long walkway to the main building, around which a sprawling lawn lay, littered with hedges crafted into a leafy sculpture of different Pokémon. A closer look revealed that the lawn hadn't been trimmed for a while, but it was certainly no grass jungle yet. However, it was obvious that the flowerbeds had been watered and looked after, along with neatly trimmed path they walked on.

'Did your parents take Hedge and Clove with them Bliss?' Cynthia asked, eyeing the surroundings warily. Bliss laughed.

'You know that they never leave them behind Cynth. If they did, we'd have something of a welcome.' She added, grinning. Cynthia gave a sigh of relief, putting her hand on her chest.

'Never hurts knowing for sure, I think.'

'Who're Hedge and Clove?' Ash asked curiously, Pikachu echoing his expression. 'Are they some kind of Pokémon?'

'Yes they are, actually.' Bliss answered. 'Hedge is my mom's Leafeon, and Clove is my dad's Venomoth.'

'They have a tendency to attack Cynthia as a sign of affection.' Meir laughed. 'I guess they're attracted by whatever perfume she uses.'

'They're wonderful Pokémon but just get too excited for some reason.' Cynthia said, frowning slightly. It wasn't really like her to be even slightly nervous, so she did get a few amused looks from the others.

The group managed to arrive at the rather ornate front door. It wasn't something which had a royal appearance, but it portrayed beauty in simplicity. On the door was a small gold-plated inscription, with writing in tiny silver font, but not that easy to miss. Attracted to a possibility of poetry, Dawn walked towards it with an indifferent penguin in her arms and began reading the inscribed lettering.

It read:

'_The price of loss defines the gain,  
Ecstasy tell us the pain,  
Space and Time bend with the flame,  
The water recycles again and again.'_

'It's a Johto saying.' Bliss told Dawn as she walked over to her. 'It's something that people used to inscribe on their front doors a long time ago – something to do with legendary Pokémon, life and the kind of stuff which Cynth here loves.' She motioned towards her blonde-haired friend.

'It's found in Sinnoh too.' Cynthia added, seeing the confused look on the younger members of the group. 'It's quite an old poem, describing the cycle of life and death, the Dragon Trio and the duo of Gold and Silver.'

'Come on inside.' Meir said. With a meaningful look at May and Ash – both of whom, in turn, gave each other a quick glance – Meir took out a key and silently opened the lock. They entered into a spacious front hall, their feet brushing against the polished wooden floor. The inside of the house continued the theme of elegant modernity, never too ornate, but always rich with subtle smoothness. Bliss went over and collapsed on a rather plushy couch.

'Don't wake me up early like that again!' She mumbled, nodding towards Cynthia but still keeping her sapphire eyes half open. The Sinnoh Champion merely winked in answer. She turned to the assortment of teenagers who seemed to be taking in the appearance of the house.

'Bliss's parents own the Goldenrod department store.' Cynthia explained, shrugging. 'They also prefer modernity, but cling on to the old ideals. That would explain the design of the house and our friend's rather carefree attitude.' She finished, smirking. Bliss groaned.

'A good coordinator needs her beauty sleep.' Bliss replied, rolling her eyes. She sat up and sighed. 'Honestly, I'll never be able to understand you trainers.' Pausing for a moment, she slowly got up and seemed to take on her carefree personality again. 'Come on Cynth,' she said cheerfully, grabbing the said friend's hand. 'I don't want to risk dropping everything again. I didn't like cleaning that mess of ice-cream scoops the last time…' Her voice trailed off as both of their footsteps disappeared towards where the kitchen presumable watched. Meir was watching the scene play out with an amused expression on his face. Shrugging he turned towards the younger components of the team, all of whom sat quietly on the couches. It was always interesting to study their expressions –seeing as how they were all put in a situation that remain mysterious and confusing to them. Actually, it was still rather mysterious to him as well.

'All right everyone!' Meir said, clapping his hands once to get their attention. The five slowly turned their heads to meet Meir's chartreuse gaze as he studied each of their eyes and expressions while he talked. Eyes usually tell you everything because they're so expressive in their own subtle way. They are the easiest way to get a rough reading of people's emotions and personality – most of us do that to get a first impression on someone. 'Now that the Johto Grand Festival is over, you all need to decide what you're going to do next. Before anyone says anything, I have a request to make, so please listen.'

Taking a deep breath, he started. 'Every five years, the Pokémon leagues and contest circuits undergo a three month reset all over the world. That means that none of you can compete for the next twelve weeks – there will be no official contests and the Gyms will be closed for maintenance. '

'Yeah, I know about that.' Drew said casually, running his hand through his emerald hair. 'I was going to spend all that time training back in LaRousse.'

Meir's eyebrows twitched visibly at the last word, but he carried on, the two shades of green eyes caught in each other's gaze, one analyzing the other. This one needed a bit of work, but it was possible to reorient him.  
'The reset is made precisely so that trainers can rest and settle their affairs and all, but there's something interesting that has come up and would make for some very good training.'

'What's that?' May asked, speaking for the first time since they had started their morning walk.

Meir's gaze now locked with May's. This time, he could see pure innocence with traces of contentment, and noticed that despite his previous notion, her sapphire orbs were actually several shades lighter than Bliss's.

'You and Ash are coming with us May, so this is for the others.' He finished with a soft smile. May nodded silently.

Next in line came Ash. Meir didn't take too long there; the chocolate orbs spoke of energy and warmth, and that summed it up. He moved briefly onto Brock, whose squints were rather ambiguous. Finally he landed on Dawn. She seemed rather different too, but that was probably because her young age prevented any coherence between her aura patterns – difficult to read in his rather experimental way.

'I'm sure you've heard of the two legendary artifacts?' He said. 'They're known as the Adamant Orb – the source of Dialga's magnified strength and the Lustrous Orb – the same for Palkia.' He paused. 'Both are on exhibit at the Eternia City museum.' He finished, knowing that it wasn't completely true. After all, the Eternal Orb was actually with him – the one at the exhibit was a large-scale replica.

'Yeah, we've seen them.' Dawn said enthusiastically. She clenched her hands together in delight, eyes sparkling. 'They were so pretty!'

'Well, we recently found the Platinum Orb – the source of Giratina's power. Unfortunately, it's located way on the top of Mount Coronet – and has been difficult to extract.'

It had been quite a surprise to him as well, but Rangernet seemed to have a knack for finding powerful artifacts.

'Let me guess,' said Brock, his gaze shooting up to meet Meir's, 'you want us to get it?'

'Cynthia will be coming with you. Actually, she was the one ordered by the Pokémon Council to retrieve it, but she convinced them to let her take a team.' Meir grinned. 'I'm not forcing you all, but Mount Coronet is an excellent training ground. You won't be able to enter the Pokémon circuit for three months anyway, so it would be better to take on three weeks of intense training – that's the expected time of your journey.' He added.

Drew raised his hand. 'I'm in.' He smirked and looked at Dawn. 'Of course, that is if _Dee-dee _here doesn't try and steal my contest appeals.'

'Hey!' Dawn complained, immediately turning to give Ash a steely look. 'Don't ask _that _questionagain.' Ash quickly closed his mouth and gave her a sheepish grin. May gave him a light nudge between the ribs, causing him to scowl. She shrugged and gave him a teasing smile which said, '_I know what it means, but I won't tell you. It's a girl thing.' _Anyhow, Dawn didn't seem to notice and turned back to a certain green-eyed champion, giving him an affirmative that she would like to come.

'What about you Brock?' Meir asked, nodding at Dawn and turning to the aforementioned breeder. Brock sighed in response.

'I guess that doesn't leave me much of a choice, does it?' He chuckled. 'I would like to visit my family in Pewter first, though.'

'I don't think that'll be a problem Brock, Cynthia mentioned that you'd be heading out after four days or so.' Brock nodded. Meir now focused his attention on the whole group. 'I think that everything's settled now. As I told you before, Ash and May are coming with us…there's something we need to do and – ' His gaze flicked towards Dawn who had just opened her mouth, ' – they'll tell you everything when we meet again, which I hope, will be next month.' Everyone seemed to nod automatically as they took in the information. Meir motioned for the aforementioned duo to come towards him, and the two slowly complied.  
'I'll just need to talk to them about their trip.' He explained, patting Ash on the back. 'Excuse us for a while.'

With that, the three of them left and the rest of the team started their own talk about their forthcoming expedition.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

'Ash, May: are both of you ready?' Meir asked as they entered a spare bedroom.

'I…think so.' May replied, flushing slightly. Her blue bandana and new dress really seemed to blend in with the room's turquoise wall paint. Ash merely nodded as Pikachu squeaked in approval. Meir closed his eyes briefly as he gathered his thoughts.

'Good.' He said. 'Use today to prepare yourselves. We'll start off by taking the ferry to Cherrygrove tomorrow after which I'll explain the rest of the plan. Go to the Pokémon center after lunch and make sure you get yourselves an experienced team – I can't guarantee that we won't get separated during the hike.'

'So…where is the Rainbow Valley anyway?' Ash asked. 'Is it near Cherrygrove or something?'

'That's kinda hard to explain.' Meir answered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 'You'll have to see it for yourselves. Oh – and there's one last thing. Be, shall I say, _careful_ around Bliss. I think she's up to something - about the two of you - and she's not telling me.' He laughed weekly, and turned to go. 'I'll try and coax it out of her, come back soon or your ice-cream will melt.' With that, Meir left the room.

Ash and May looked at each other, not saying a word as they contemplated briefly on their upcoming journey. Pikachu made a jump from Ash's head to May's, as the latter began to stroke its fur gently.

'So, are you ready May?'

'I guess so. It'll be odd for you to be travelling without Brock, won't it?' May smiled. 'I got used to it when I was here in Johto by myself.'

'Nah, there was that time in the Orange Islands…' Ash recalled, 'He lent us his cookbook though, and that sure came in handy – at least when we were not near a Pokémon Center that is.'

Both of them laughed as they recalled their sunlit memories. The past year had certainly been a whole lot different from their previous experiences. Even though their time as trainers had been short, they had been through a lot – and that was doubly true for Ash. It really seemed like yesterday that the two of them first met at Professor Birch's lab on that same day Ash had his eyes set to conquer Hoenn, and May was to receive her first Pokémon. Looking back, it certainly did not seem like a coincidence anymore.

'Ash?' May asked, gently shaking him.

'Sorry, I was just thinking.'

'_Thinking_?' May teased, faking a gasp. 'Let me guess,' she said, conjuring a thoughtful expression, 'was it about food or Pokémon?'

'Actually May,' Ash grinned, 'It was about the first time we met, you know – way back in Hoenn?'

'I'm honored to be a part of your thoughts, Ash Ketchum.' She said mockingly. What she couldn't explain was the sudden flow of heat rising up to her face, but fortunately for her, Ash hadn't noticed: he seemed to have receded back into his "thoughts". The next movement was rather involuntary, but seemed to be quite perfectly controlled nonetheless. Inexplicably, it resulted in her lips quickly impacting upon Ash's left cheek, and being pulled back. Ash seemed to have really noticed this one. In fact, May could literally feel his face growing warmer by the second – and there was that strange Aural connection which Meir had mentioned…it felt like something had distinctly vibrated the entirety of their bodies for a while, but that had only been as long as they had been in contact. The feeling went back to the steadiness they usually felt around each other, but there seemed to be something different this time around…something _warmer_.

'May, w-what – '

'For luck.' She said automatically, smiling faintly as she yanked Ash's hand and proceeded down the stairs. She was quite sure now that she would need that luck for the mission and for her future. She would also be needing the ice cream that awaited her downstairs to cool her down from this rather uncomfortable fever which seemed to have infected her in the last few seconds.

But she knew that it wasn't an ordinary fever. No illness had ever made her feel so light.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Afterthought:

Oh noes! ANOTHER POEM!

I think the story's getting a bit dull, so I hope I can spice up the next chapter a little bit. Reviews are welcome, as always. Oh, and PLEASE tell me if I've done the last part right. :D


	8. Setting Off

A/N: What happened to Ash's Lucario?

Here's your answer.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Chapter Eight: Setting Off

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The room was rather well lit, but contained an air of uncertain malice. Ornate designs hung behind the sole desk present there, giving a distinct hypnotic effect to those who saw them: the clients, not the employer. On the desk, there was a sleek laptop, piles of paper and a few paperweights to go along with them. This was the desk of the infamous Giovanni, former leader of the Viridian City Gym and the current head of the Team Rocket crime syndicate.

The aforementioned "boss", a man in his late forties with an intimidating glare and finely combed hair sat on his cosy chair, sighing briefly with exasperation. He usually never showed any outward emotions (except anger), but the case here was rather different. He was going to meet _that _team in a few minutes, and they were always rather annoying to deal with. The odd trio failed at nearly everything they tried, the only problem was he couldn't remove them from his organisation. The reason for that was a secret he had worked hard to keep: not even the said team knew anything about it.

Then again, they were never really the thoughtful type either.

Mentally sighing, he turned to his large feline Pokémon. His Persian had helped him relieve the rather large amount of stress he accumulated because of his volatile position. He was thankful for that brief moment of relaxation while he stroked the cat-like Pokémon, but gave a silent groan as he heard three knocks on the door.

'Come in.' He said firmly. The door opened silently, as two guards along with the trio of Jessie, James and Meowth walked into the room. The two Rocket grunts wore expressionless faces, while those of the trio were quite lively with nervousness and agitation etched into their features.

Giovanni nodded to the two guards who promptly vacated the office without another word. Hearing the door lock behind them, the Rocket boss narrowed his eyes focusing on the trio, causing them to give away an audible gulp.

'I'm well aware,' he said, stroking his Persian, 'of your reported spying on other Team Rocket members.' He paused, the silence emphasizing his words. 'Don't let me catch you at it again.'

Frozen in fear, the trio merely gave a small nod, unable to respond verbally.

Their boss smirked. 'I have an important assignment for you.' He said, pulling several printed papers out of his desk. 'You are our only members who have an extensive...ah, _experience _in the Sinnoh region.' He looked up, anticipating the eager expression which this particular team used to wear whenever they were entrusted with something. To his surprise, he found out that he was simply returning a respectful glance from the members of the team, nothing more.  
'I warn you, should you fail, you will be kicked out of Team Rocket for good.' Giovanni added sternly. 'Is that understood?'

'Yes sir!'

'Good. Here's what I need you to do...'

/\/\/\/\/\/\

The gentle rush in and around the harbour announced the arrival of Cherrygrove City. Although this settlement didn't even register to the size of the thriving metropolis they had left earlier, Cherrygrove was still a great starting point for many prospective young trainers who were taking their first steps on their Pokémon journey. Of course, with the news about the three-month break, there were hardly any of them around right now.

The official-looking Pokémon League ferry was a small, but well equipped boat. It had brought the group here from across the continent, clinging to the shallow waters near the shore. Despite its rather impressive speed, the ferry took a good six hours to transverse the southern Johto waters. The Seagallop ferries were considerably faster, but even they took two hours to reach the Sevii islands south of the main continent.

All that time had passed pretty quickly for our group, as they were engaged in continuous conversation throughout the journey. Ash, Dawn and Brock recounted their Sinnoh adventures, including everything from the mysterious events at the Space-Time tower, being transported to Giratina's dimension, and some of the depressing parts of their foray too, such as Dawn's tough time in the contest circle during the beginning of their journey. May told them a little bit about her time in Johto as well.

/\/\

'_After my first win in Floroma town,' Dawn recounted, frowning slightly, 'I lost all the contests I entered. If it wasn't for these guys here,' she nodded to Brock and Ash, 'and May giving advice over the phone, I would never have made it to the Grand Festival.'_

'_Aww...really Dee-dee!' Drew said mockingly, getting a rather harsh glare in return. She knew it was just some harmless fun, but if Ash ever found out what that meant...she'd have to endure endless teasing. That wasn't good for her health._

'_Well, you're lucky Dawn.' Bliss said, smiling at the two coordinator's antics. 'A lot of people never make it to their first Grand Festival.' She paused, half-closing her eyes. 'I didn't.'_

'_Wha – Really?' May exclaimed and the others gasped. This was surprise indeed – the world's best coordinator had failed to make it to her first festival?_

_Bliss laughed softly. 'A lot of people assume that you've always been the best at what you do if you're on the top, but it isn't true, at least with me. The truth is, I didn't want to become a Coordinator – I wanted to be a Pokémon Breeder.' She nodded to Brock, who was listening with interest. _

'_So what made you change your mind then?' He asked, intrigued. He was a Trainer once too, although he had always aimed to become a Breeder since his childhood, an after-effect of dealing with the rather large family he had to look after. That's probably why he was so attached to his home: he hadn't really travelled the world before he joined Ash. _

'_I participated in a few contests back then, but it wasn't for the ribbons.' Bliss replied, closing her eyes in recollection. 'I did it to examine the way different coordinators raised their Pokémon; to improve my skills as a Breeder. That is, of course, until a very persistent young man forced me into the contest circuit, and I haven't looked back since.'_

'_That wasn't me, by the way.' Meir said, grinning. 'It was her best friend, Lance, who was also her first travelling companion.' _

'_So I couldn't enter the Johto Festival on my first try, although I had never really taken coordinating seriously before Lance joined me, so I didn't get much time to fulfil my ribbon requirements. At that time, you needed four ribbons to enter the festival, although the number of contests being held was also lower.' Bliss sighed, as if recalling something. 'I went so Sinnoh while Lance went to Hoenn, and met these two, forming an ultimate team of sorts.' She grinned as Meir and Cynthia flinched as they mentally recalled the memory of their first meeting._

'_Travelling with two hyperactive, overly enthusiastic adolescent girls, hell-bent on conquering Sinnoh was..._really _troublesome.' Meir muttered sarcastically, before he bit his tongue. He certainly didn't want the two women to hear that and fortunately, they didn't._

'_We'll tell you all about that later, Bliss.' Cynthia said, nodding. Her soft grey eyes met May's who looked back at the Sinnoh Champion in a mildly cute way. 'What I'd like to know now is how your journey through Johto went May. It must have been hard travelling by yourself after all those adventures you had together as a team.' _

_May pouted her lips in a frown. 'It was a little hard at first,' she said, before breaking into a smile, 'but I managed to go about fine later on. I lost my first contest here, but managed to win the other five I took without much of a problem, even though the last one was kinda tough.' She paused and pondered a bit more before continuing. 'I'd always have a chat with Ash, Brock and Dawn once a week though, as well as Mom and Dad.' She turned to Ash and gave him a warm smile. He returned it. May had to ignore the sudden imbalance se sensed in her stomach. 'Ash really helped me out of some tight spots back there. Dawn and I used to discuss contests and well –' she turned a little red, '- girl stuff. Brock gave me a lot of advice on cooking too. I guess I got on okay after that, and finished my contests here pretty quickly.' May stopped again, thinking. She had become a little more reflective after her little stint in Johto, but she still had pretty much the same personality. That was something that wouldn't change so easily either. 'You know the rest.' She finished, deciding that there was nothing much to tell them. _

'_Hey what about me?' Drew said looking hurt. _

'_Come on, we weren't going to leave you out now, were we?' Meir smirked. _

_It was then that their ferry sounded a horn, announcing their arrival in a harbour. The group got up and looked out of their small windows as the sight of the Cherrygrove harbour met their eyes. _

'_You knew we'd arrived, didn't you?' Drew accused Meir, although he was rather amused. The latter just laughed. _

'_You'll get your chance. Besides we haven't told you our stories yet, so you could tell us later. I'm sure Cynthia, Dawn and Brock would like to hear it when you're together in Coronet.' _

_Drew sighed but nodded, slowly getting up. His emerald green hair looked rather gloomy in the dark, and silently walked out onto the deck where the other teens followed him. The adults, however lingered back for a while, watching them go._

'_Cynth, be sure to transmit in case of anomalous behaviour from any one of your team. I trust you know the frequency?' asked Meir. The blond trainer nodded._

'_Nine-eight-eight megahertz. That's your direct Rangernet link isn't it?' _

'_Reception in Rainbow Valley might be a problem though.' Bliss countered. 'We'll try out best to break through the perception filter.' The three slowly began walking towards the teens._

'_You've got a point Bee, but remember: we're the ones in uncharted territory, not her.' _

_Cynthia only smiled. 'You've got each other - I don't think you need to worry.'_

'_I'm not worried about us.' Meir said, stepping out into the sunshine. He motioned to where Ash and May were standing, leaning idly again the railings of the ferry. 'I'm worried about _them_.' _

_Bliss smiled, gently taking Meir's hand into her own. She leaned over into his ear. _

'_Believe in them.' She whispered, before guiding him to the rest of the group. _

/\/\

The small docking station couldn't boast of being crowded with passengers waiting for their cruise, or cargo standing by to be loaded into a massive container vessel. However, it did betray the feel of a harbour. The Wingull swayed with the ocean breezes as the silent thunder of the sea crashed down upon the harbour wall. The air was inexcusably saline as well as rich in moisture.

There was one more thing the small port could boast of. This was the spot where different people had parted their ways or reunited. This was the place where the dreams of a few were realised, or where some came back defeated.

At this moment, a farewell was being exchanged by two different groups, each made up of four different people. One contained a Pikachu, but the other boasted of a Piplup.

'Well, I guess this is goodbye; at least for now.' Meir said. 'You'll be heading north while we're going south.'

'Are you going to Hoenn?' Brock asked, rather bluntly.

Meir chuckled. 'Not _that _far south. It's been nice meeting you guys though, we'll see each other again pretty soon. Take care.'

Cynthia proceeded to give Bliss a hug, who asked her to look after herself and the others. She went on to do the same with Meir, who merely exchanged an understanding glance.

'Bye Brock, I'll be seeing you soon.' Ash said, as his long-time friend gave him a onetime hug. Dawn proceeded to give him a high-five.

'Finally, I get to be at peace after a whole year of watching your Gym battles.' Dawn said sarcastically in her usual bubbly tone. She grinned and quickly gave Ash a hug, and followed with another one for May. 'See you!' She said, not trying to restrain any emotion from getting into her voice.

'How are we getting to Sinnoh anyway?' asked Brock, as he turned to Cynthia.

'We take to train to Pewter first, which will take nine hours to get there, and we board a ship from Kanto.' Cynthia replied automatically. Her expression quickly changed into a horrified one.  
'The train!' She said, panicking. 'Come on we have to get moving!' The Sinnoh champion proceeded to drag her small sortie team with her, and the four trainers disappeared from sight within a minute.

Meir and Bliss sighed simultaneously, as if they were expecting this to happen. Ash and May looked at each other, confused at Cynthia's rather reckless behaviour. Of course, this just went to show their lack of knowledge about the blonde trainer's near-fanaticism about punctuality. The other odd thing was, their eye contact didn't give a repulsive aural spark like before. It did, however made them fix their gaze at each other, and for some obscure reason, they couldn't look away. An unspoken staring contest ensured.

'Well, come on.' Bliss said, as she gently nudged the two young trainers' head, bringing them back to reality. She started walking, carrying herself a little differently now; her sapphire gaze had become slightly more intense in the process. The other three could sense the little spike in her Aural signature, one that immediately told them she was serious. 'We need to find the Pokémon centre.' Her gaze met Meir's who nodded silently. 'And after that, we need to start your Aura training.'

/\/\/\/\/\/\

'Well, it looks like we made it on time.' Brock said, collapsing into his seat. He peered into the window beside him, watching the surroundings gradually change as their train accelerated, gradually leaving Cherrygrove behind. He smiled internally, knowing that he'd be home in a few hours and after that, he'd be off on another adventure. The Breeder's thoughts drifted towards Ash and May, and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of challenge they would face. The revelations they were given a few days ago certainly explained a lot, but they also confused him. A small tinge of melancholy had taken up a small part of his thoughts...he knew that they could take care of themselves and also knew that two of the world's most powerful trainers were trugging along, but it was that same thought that stood like a forbidding warning at the back of his head.

What could possibly be so important as to warrant their personal intervention?

Furrowing his eyebrows, the tanned breeder was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Cynthia watching him intently – as if she was trying to read them. Only the background chatter of Dawn and Drew chatting amicably registered in his subconscious.

'Don't worry about them.' Cynthia told him quietly. Brock snapped back to reality as he looked up, identifying the source of the voice.

'I know what you're thinking. I won't lie to you and say that they're not in any danger, but they'll be fine.'

'Well, they certainly seem to be getting closer...' Brock said, trailing off. He smiled and nodded.

'They'll take care of each other.' Cynthia completed. By this point, the two younger coordinators had stopped chatting and were listening to the conversation.

'I know that _they _will be fine – no need to worry about them, but what about us?' Dawn asked, her voice betraying a tone of innocent inquisitiveness. She closed her electric blue eyes for a moment, hoping that her friends would be fine. However, unlike Brock, she took to the viewpoint that if they were going with Meir and Bliss, they _would _be alright. At the same time, Dawn realised that getting the Platinum Orb from Mount Coronet would hardly be a small job either. Unknown to her, Drew was thinking along the same lines while absently gazing out of the window as the fields rushed pass then.

'I have a plan of course...but all that in due time.' Cynthia replied. The train thundered on, leaving behind the glare of the setting sun.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Afterthought:

Okay, Lucario couldn't make it. He will in the next chapter though, and I'm going into serious Advanceshippy mode as well.

The "real" story begins now.

Also, "Bee" is Bliss's nickname, one that Meir and Lance both call her by. It's akin to Dawn's "Dee-dee".


	9. Reconciliation

A/N: Unfortunately, this slow update pace is here to stay for a while. Hope you guys don't mind.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Chapter Nine: Reconciliation

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Ash yawned, lifting one had towards his left eye and rubbing it, while the other supported his weight against the soft mattress of his bunk bed. Cherrygrove City only had one Pokémon Centre, but it was large enough to accommodate two rooms for their four-man squad. Of course, it helped that two of them were the best trainers in the world, and one of them had recently won the Sinnoh League tournament, the fourth being a well known coordinator.

The soft yellow mass of Pikachu sensed its trainer heat slowly moving away, and it opened a tired black eye. The moonlight was still at large, swarming the cool environment of the small city in a pale, silky glow. However, the faint rays of the Sun were fast catching up, evidencing the arrival of daybreak.

Stifling another yawn, Ash took a glance at the digital clock kept on the small table beside the bed. He was in the bottom bunk this time, with May on the one above him; not that any of them minded either way. Staring at the glowing letters, he internally recorded an hour-minute notation of six o'clock. Giving himself a mental yelp, the chocolate-eyed trainer leaped out of bed, and rushed into the bathroom, only to find the door locked. However, the door opened a second later, revealing a freshly dressed May, her brunette hair still wet from the shower.

'Took you long enough, Ash.' she giggled, making eye contact. Sensing Ash's need to hurry, and later giving the digital chronometer a quick glance, May sidestepped pushing a still-drowsy Ash inside. 'Hurry up or we'll be late!' The coordinator yelled as the door snapped shut. Shaking her head at her friend's (rather cute) antics, she made her way around the room, only to be pounced upon by a half-asleep Pikachu. May immediately tensed at the sudden addition of weight, but relaxed upon feeling the electric rodent's soft fur brushing against her cheek.

Walking towards her belongings, May quickly, but efficiently packed all her necessary items in her fanny pack, securing it around her waist. She wouldn't admit it, but Ash was right about how much time she used to take for getting ready. It didn't take any more than seven minutes now, but that was enough time for Ash to (apparently) brush his teeth, take a shower and get dressed while he was in the bathroom. Stepping out onto the carpeted floor, the trainer took a few deep breaths to calm himself after the flurry of activity his body had just handled. After he decided that everything was in place, he shot May a semi-annoyed look, clearly displeased by the lack of effort to wake him up. The latter just shrugged.

'I'm not your mother, Ash. And besides,' May said sweetly, before breaking into a smile, 'that look on your face was worth it.'

Ash's expression didn't change, causing May's amusement to dramatically transform into an apology.

'Um...sorry?'

'Better.' Ash replied, a grin slowly forming on his face. A second later, he was dashing out of the door. 'Race you to the exit May!'

'Hey, no fair!' May protested, racing to catch up with him. A mere minute later, the duo found themselves at the door of the Pokémon Centre, but not before May crashed into Ash along with Pikachu, making the three of them fall on the floor in rather...compromising position. Without a word, the three separated, with Pikachu taking up residence on Ash's shoulder. Suddenly, a rather familiar voice called out to them.

'I'm going to pretend I didn't see that.'

Embarrassed, the trio looked up to see Meir leaning against the wall, his eyes focused on a rather sleek PDA which he was operating with his fingertips. Smirking slightly, the champion tucked the little device back into his pocket, before glancing at the sky. It was a little cloudy, the humidity accented by their proximity to the sea, but that was alright. The weather was perfect for the outdoor training which he was going to introduce to the two young trainers. One of them was quick to notice the missing member of their group.

'Where's Bliss?' May asked.

Meir raised an eyebrow before breaking into a smirk. 'You tell me.'

'Huh?'

'Find her.' Meir replied, gesturing with his hand. 'She's already at out training site. Lead the way!' He paused to see their reactions. They looked confused at first, but both the teenagers soon realised what he was hinting at. Closing their eyes in concentration, Meir could help but think at how determined (and rather adorable) they looked, seeing their expressions and furrowed eyebrows. May was the first one to open her eyes, and Ash did so a second later, smiling.

'Found her!' Ash exclaimed cheerfully.

'She's _that _way.' May said, pointing to the northeast.

'Is she now?' Meir asked, before following the teens. He didn't need to tell them they were right just yet. He wanted them to be capable of judging something without knowing the answer...it was one of the things he needed to train them in if they were going to the illusionary Rainbow Valley in a few days. After he had promised himself, their parents and Bliss that he would look after them and he felt that getting to know their Auras better would help them.

After a minute's sprint, they found themselves entering what seemed to be a rather large - although empty - park. The Pokémon Centre could be seen clearly in the background, hidden amongst a fairly large number of sakura trees. Bliss sat waiting from them under a particularly large Yoshino, which despite it not being the flowering season, seemed to wave it's branches at the group rather gracefully. After all, trees like this were scattered all across Cherrygrove, as that was how the city had got its name years ago.

'Took you long enough.' Bliss said, glancing at the two younger trainers. Both muttered a silent apology, causing her to grin in amusement. 'Come on, I wasn't being serious!'

'They'll take a while to get used to your rather...unique personality, won't they?' Meir said, patting both the younger trainers on the head. They immediately tensed and then collapsed, falling to their knees.

'Unh,' Ash said, struggling to get back up. He grabbed May's hand as both of them slowly got up, panting. 'What was _that_?'

'My bad, sorry!' Meir said helping them up, carefully avoiding any skin contact. 'I forgot what it was like when I couldn't handle everything I was sensing.'

'Huh?'

Bliss smiled, and lazily held up five fingers. 'You have five senses,' she explained, 'Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste and Smell.'

'Um, I think everyone knows that...don't they?' May asked, pulling herself back together as she clenched the green grass below her. She didn't understand what just happened all of a sudden, but she understood that the two older trainers were explaining it right now.

'Yeah, everyone does. It's only when people talk about the "sixth sense" or whatever they call it, they're wrong. At least, sensing Aura isn't a "sixth sense".' Bliss said.

'I don't get it.' Ash said sheepishly.

Bliss sighed, nodding to Meir who seemed thoughtful. 'Ash, have you met someone with psychic powers?'  
Ash vividly recalled the incident which still chilled him to this day. 'Yes I have..she turned me and my friends into a doll back when I had started out in Kanto...' He shuddered.

'So you've met Sabrina then,' Meir smirked, 'I've heard the stories about how she was like before she finally became a responsible Gym leader. Anyway, the point is,' he paused, 'you were never really turned into a doll.' There was a socked silence. May, who had never heard this story from Ash before, looked at him with an expression full of worry.

'What are you talking about? I swear, we were all –'

'She was playing with your minds.' Meir said, 'It's not possible to do that Ash: you'd die in an instant. The psychic arts are mainly illusions: very elaborate ones at that. All of you were trapped in your own minds until some other psychic user could rescue you. Do you understand?'

Ash nodded, albeit hesitantly. 'A bit, but what about bending spoons and stuff?'

Meir tapped a finger on his temple, indicating the mind. 'A psychic user's brain is modified at birth. They can control brainwaves and magnetic fields, so they actually do bend spoons and can teleport, but they never really do any physical harm to any living body. But all that's besides the point.' he said, waving his hand. 'What I'm trying to tell you is that using your natural ability to detect and manipulate Aura is quite different from the psychic arts or psychic attacks. It's very real. You don't actually get a sixth sense – you're just combining your five senses together making it _seem _like you've gotten one.'

'I get it now.' May said tilting her head in thought. It kinda made sense, and she was relieved to know that her friend wasn't actually turned into a doll. Ash nodded slowly, processing the information. He wasn't entirely convinced, but it was better to think it the way he had just been explained.

'What you're going to learn isn't going to give you that ability – you need to be born with it, but being Aware of your Aura will make you immune to any kind of psychic attack. With a little training that can be extended to your Pokémon as well.'

'This brings us to the first stage of training: Awareness.' Meir explained, holding up a finger to indicate the number. 'This one usually takes a lot of time to achieve, but you two,' he nodded at them, 'have already completed it. This is because of the anomaly-variable thing which I told you guys about back in Goldenrod.'  
'The second stage is about control, called Reconciliation, and that's what you'll be learning today. It's getting your brain used to all the extra information you sense all the time. This one occurs naturally, but we'll be speeding it up as it may cause problems in Rainbow Valley.'

'And, in case you're wondering,' Bliss interjected, 'Meir didn't invent these training methods by himself, so obviously, they don't take a genius to understand them.' Meir frowned, prompting Bliss to smirk, and wave her hand in apology. 'Just kidding. Anyway, he and Cynthia dug up some old books from the Canalave Library back when we were in Sinnoh. They were originally written by the old Aura Guardians during the war which occurred centuries ago. We just modified the methods a little bit – and they do work!'

She nodded to her husband who walked over to her. Both of them sat down beneath the tree, cross-legged and back-to-back. They closed their eyes and began to concentrate.

'This is step two.' Meir announced. 'It's trying to keep track of the Aura of the entire city.' The two younger trainers gasped at the difficulty of the task. Meir grinned, opening one chartreuse eye to look at them. 'Don't worry though, it's not as difficult as it seems, and I think you'll be able to do it in about two days.' He smiled encouragingly.

'Come on you two.' Bliss spoke softly, 'take this position. No more being uncomfortable around each other.' Her lips betrayed the tiniest hint of a smirk as Ash and May looked a little embarrassed, but nevertheless adjusted themselves to the same position the senior trainers were in. Immediately, they began to feel that same sense of discomfort, except now they knew what it really was: sensory overload. They did as they were told and concentrated, making that tendril of thought extend further and further. Sure, it proved to be utterly exhausting, but it was incredible. To them, the other stood out as the brightest bacon in their mind until they wondered further taking in what can only be called a blinding bright hue of Meir and Bliss, who were sitting close to them. The last thing they sensed was Pikachu's gentle "beep" before collapsing utterly, drifting into unconsciousness.

Bliss opened her sapphire orbs, and turned around to look at the younger pair, who were slumped over each other, looking utterly exhausted. Meir opened his eyes as well, and started walking towards them. He smiled. 'They were at it for at least three minutes, that's good.' Bliss frowned.

'Didn't we manage six or so when we first did it?' she asked.

'We didn't have two _other _strong Aura sources to deal with, Bee.' Meir replied, before walking over to Pikachu, who looked confused. He took the yellow rodent in his arms and started rubbing its cheeks. The mouse immediately calmed down and gave a "chaa!" or delight. 'This Pikachu seems to be special too – I guess it's something to do with the fact that it's been with Ash since the start of his journey.'

'Yeah,' Bliss said, her voice softening, 'just like ...' she trailed off and looked into Meir eyes which betrayed a hint of sadness as he gently let go of Pikachu, who promptly jumped on to his head. Immediately regretting her words she quickly walked over to him and gave him a hug from the back. 'There wasn't anything you could do, you know. It was natural...and besides, he was happy.'  
Meir nodded and shook himself from his trail of depressing memories. He motioned to May and Ash, who were still out cold.

'We need to wake them up.' He said, regaining his mildly-cheerful demeanour.

Bliss pouted. 'But they look so cute cuddled up like that!'

'They won't if Ho-oh's has his way with them, you know that!' Meir got up and stretched, with Pikachu still hanging on his head. He looked up towards it, seeing a flash of yellow before meeting his gaze with the Pokémon's shiny black eyes.  
'Pikachu,' Meir said before stopping next to Ash. 'Would you mind giving your friends a gentle wakeup call?'

'Pika!' the rodent replied as it formed a gentle Thunderwave which, conducting its way through both Ash and May's bodies, jolted their minds slowly back into the real world. The duo shuffled around, trying to push themselves up. They didn't seem to mind their proximity, although both of them had a red-hue on their faces as they quietly got back into position.

'Try again. I was never expecting you to get it on the first attempt anyway.' Meir said, shrugging, while completely ignoring their light blushes. 'You have to keep trying even if it's strains you – otherwise your mind will never be able to handle the extra information.'

'Is Dawn doing the same kind of training too?' asked May.

'No, she's still a little young to do that – it's best to do when you're at puberty, like the two of you.' Bliss replied. 'You know what happened back in Sinnoh when she tried it, don't you?' The two nodded, shuddering from that near-death experience of being squashed by a flaming piece of metal, and their blue-haired friend's subsequent exhaustion.

The sun made its way across the sky as the day passed, and their training session went on. They only stopped for lunch and the occasional bathroom break, but it proved to be a rather continuous affair. It wasn't until there was an hour long break that ended when the sun began to set, did the group realise how very much exhausted they were. After all, Meir and Bliss had trained as well, but unlike their younger companions, they were able to visualize the entirety of Cherrygrove three times. That only made their own fatigue more apparent, although even Meir seemed to be satisfied with the progress they had made.

Yawning, Bliss got up from her cross-legged position, stretching the muscles which had become constricted after being confined to the same pose for the whole day. Cherrygrove proved to be slightly better than the sweltering heat of Goldenrod – but maybe that was just because of the rather lovely garden the four of them had enjoyed for the training. Nevertheless, the Johto summer sun hadn't made the day very cool either. The weather, too, was pretty humid considering that they were so close to the ocean. The other three trainers rose from their positions as well, getting up and stretching their figures. Everyone was drenched in sweat, and would probably be emitting a rather unpleasant body odour if Bliss hadn't warned them about coating themselves with deodorant beforehand.

'Well, that it for today I guess.' Bliss said, her eyebrows sagged in exhaustion.

'Wait,' Meir said, 'One more thing.' He turned to Ash. 'Bliss told me that you have a Lucario? Do you have it with you right now?'

Ash nodded. Ever since he won the Sinnoh League he had decided to take some of his newly evolved and untrained Pokémon with him so that he could train them. Using them in rotation would be a good strategy for making sure that all of them reached their full potential. Cynthia had hinted at this strategy when he met her the second time in Celestic town. Anyhow, Bliss had warned him not to use his Lucario in battle for a while. Maybe he would get an answer for that now!

'Good.' Meir said, relieved. He didn't want to bother with going to the centre and transporting it. 'I need to ask you some questions, because I know that it evolved just a month or so ago.' Again, Ash nodded as he reached for Lucario's Pokeball. 'Alright – when did the egg hatch?'

'At the Sinnoh Grand Festival, um.. it was right about time when we met up with May.' Ash replied. Meir grinned.

'That confirms it then. Obviously, May's presence had affected the hatching, although she wasn't a complete variable back then, it must have done something.' He paused. 'Of course, hatching and evolving in a span of weeks has some bad consequences.'

'No way! You can't mean there's something wrong with...' Ash trailed off, looking sadly at Lucario's Pokeball.

'There is, but there's also a way to fix that.' Meir said. He took out a Pokeball and grinned, tossing it onto his left hand. 'How about a little battle?'

Ash took a moment to register the fact the _World Champion _had challenged _him _to a battle. He suddenly didn't feel tired anymore.

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A/N: I seem to keep postponing the Lucario explanation. At least I've set it all up now. :D

Don't forget to review!


	10. Awakening

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Chapter Ten: Awakening

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_Aura Guardians:_

_During the great global war of 1800, two hundred and forty-nine years before the initialization of Rangernet, there existed an enigmatic but humanitarian organisation known as the Aura Council. At its peak just before the resolution of the war, the Aura Council consisted of some hundred-odd members, collectively known as "Aura Guardians", all from various different regions of the world. They are the first recorded association of Aura users, and indeed believed to be the first known authors on techniques to enhance quantum cognition: the thought process that is now known to allow humans and certain Pokémon to manipulate their surrounding energy. _

_It is an undisputable fact that the organisation existed long before the war began, perhaps as early as the 1700s, nearly a century before. The techniques of manipulation and special meditative states appear to be, without a doubt, extensively tested and refined over a period of time. The copies of the manuscripts and scrolls are distributed at various public libraries around the globe, although a majority of the originals are archived at the Planetary Library of Canalave City, in southern Sinnoh._

_A further analysis reveals that the intricacies of Aura manipulation, as well it's mathematical and quantitative understanding were unknown to the Aura Council, leading to the conclusion that the understanding of the Science was achieved mainly by trial and error as well as intuition. This reinforces the truth of the Aura Guardians as an ancient and slowly growing organisation, given their largely non-mathematical knowledge base. _

_Most of the Aura Guardians themselves are not believed to have been anomalies, except for a very low fraction of the total numbers. It is believed that the Council decreed tests to those who claimed to be worthy of learning quantum cognition. Due to their not being many anomalies, the Guardians had to undergo rigorous training in an effort to bring out their manipulative abilities. _

_It is a known fact that every last Aura Guardian and most of their partner Lucario were either killed or had sacrificed themselves during the war. This seems to be consistent with their philosophy of self-sacrifice and working for the betterment of Humanity and Pokémon. Indeed, the damage that would have ensured if the war had lasted without their intervention would have been cataclysmic. The Aura Council has been established as one of the first organizations that eventually led to the planetary unification of 2005, centuries later. _

- Rangernet History Archive

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'Okay Ash,' said Meir, 'this battle is a way to get Lucario up and running. You need to do this exactly as I tell you, understood?'

Ash nodded, numbly gripping Lucario's Pokeball with his gloved hand. The other two took positions facing each other near the large Yoshino tree; Bliss went back to her place under the tree and invited May to sit down with her. The two coordinators relaxed as the trainers took their battle stances. Everyone was exhausted from the day's ordeal – both mentally and physically. Aura sensing required every asset of the mind and body, and thus fatigued both.

'Alright Ash,' Meir said, 'I have to somehow make sure that your Lucario wins this battle, but this is the only time you're winning against me!'

'We'll see about that!' Ash grinned, and threw the Pokeball. 'Go, Lucario!'

The blue-black jackal-like creature came out. At a first glance, it was easy to notice that Ash's newly evolved Lucario did not carry the air and authority that the species usually displayed. Instead, it's pose was rather child-like and loose, and acted more like an overgrown Riolu rather than its truly evolved form. The Pokémon turned to face the trainer.

'Lucario,' Ash said, 'I know you can't use your attacks buddy, but just listen to Meir and we'll get you fixed up alright?'

The Aura Pokémon gave Ash a playful nod. He turned to face the other trainer, who was scanning his appearance thoroughly. Meir mumbled under his breath and gave the Pokémon opposite to him an approving nod.

'_No physical deferments, slight personality backlash and inability to completely connect with Aura.' _thought Meir, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. '_he did use that Aura Sphere back in Sinnoh though...it's probably something psychological rather than an evolution defect.' _The trainer shook himself out of his thoughts, now knowing what to do.

A sudden gust of wind sprouted out spontaneously from all over the battle field. Everyone, Ash's Lucario in particular, could feel the gentle pattern of an invisible silk as it flowed through the air. The wind seemed to weave into the silk as it transmitted what seemed to be a current of heat. The air seemed to get thicker, but not uncomfortably so. The temperature quickly settled at a cool and comfortable level.

'Aura pulse.' Meir explained shortly, taking out a Pokeball. This one was half yellow and half blue, but otherwise the same as an ordinary red-white Pokeball that most trainers possessed. It was merely a colour-change that identified the Pokeball containing the world champion's Pokeball. Meir gently placed the Pokeball in mid-air as the invisible silk seemed to hold it right there, as if it was ignoring gravity completely.

'_Sirnight_,' he said, releasing his hold of the Pokeball, thereby allowing it to float in mid-air. 'Realise!' A flash of light revealed the tall humanoid form of a green-white Pokemon, as it serenely announced its name.

'Gardevoir,' Meir said, 'We need to perform a psychic de-block on that Lucario.' He looked into the Pokémon's eyes. 'Are you up for it?'

The psychic-type gave a small nod, turning to fix it's gaze on the curious blue-jackal standing across the field.

'Hey Meir?' Ash called out. 'Do you give your Pokémon nicknames?'

Meir chuckled at Ash's observation. Most trainers didn't give a nickname to their Pokémon because of the well known fact that it often confuses their fellow team-members or even the Pokémon themselves. For instance, a captured Pikachu would always be called a Pikachu by any person or Pokémon that happen to talk to it. Changing the name after a capture that may as well have been in the prime years of a Pokémon's life was a bit of a problem, and the said Pokémon would have to go a rather costly therapy for renaming – which was done by a select few experts around the world. Meir definitely wasn't one of them, nor were Bliss or Cynthia for that matter.

'They're not nicknames Ash,' Meir replied, waving his hand in dismissal, 'They're codenames. I make my Pokémon remember them just like they're made to remember attack names. I only started to give them these names _after _I became World Champion. You can say they're a kind of security measure – my Pokémon only come out of their Pokeball if I say their codename first. It prevents any ... _misunderstandings_ that would otherwise occur if someone finds out that my Pokémon are in hands other than my own. When I'm taking to my Pokémon, I always use their normal names.'

'Oh, I get it now.' Ash said, nodding. He paused. 'So what am I supposed to do?'

'May come over here.' Meir said, motioning to the coordinator, who promptly hopped up and jogged towards him. Meir told her something softly which neither Ash nor Lucario could hear. She nodded slowly and stepped backwards so that the battle could finally start.

'Can we start the fight now?' Ash said impatiently, tapping his foot. His hands were curled in a fist – it was something he did out of habit whenever he was in a battle. It was his anchor of focus and determination.

'Sorry to keep you waiting.' Meir said, his demeanour changing quite suddenly. The feeling of an invisible silk hanging in the air reappeared with full force, wrapping itself around the combatants. 'You have the honours, Ash.'

'Alright! Lucario, charge in and try to use Aura Sphere!' Ash commanded, remembering that his attack options were severely limited.

The Pokémon nodded and began to gather up the energy required for the move. It could be done, but it would take a long time due to the premature evolution. Meir frowned as he noticed the flaw in the attack.

'_The energy lobes – the four black projections on every Lucario's head,' _he thought_, 'that seems to be the problem.' _Energy lobes were like antennas. They did the job of collecting dark energy from the surroundings – particles of matter that were invisible, but their effects could be felt as Aural waves. This was the enormous amount of energy that powered any Lucario's attacks. The problem was, only two of the four lobes seemed to be operating. This was because a Riolu has only two energy lobes, and Ash's Lucario didn't seem to be able to access its new pair, a side effect of the premature evolution.

'Gardevoir, Psychic.' Meir said quietly. With a soft sound, the Embrace Pokémon glowed a pale violet, lifting her opponent into the air. Lucario was confused as his body hung a few feet off the ground, seemingly supported by nothing but air. He gave a growl as he felt the pressure on his skin increase and decrease, first slowly, then rapidly. The Aura Pokémon could feel a tingle at the sides of his head as it managed to slowly raise the two unused energy lobes. The unformed Aura Sphere glowed with a flash before exploding briefly, sending both the Pokémon flying before they managed to correct their balance. Bliss sitting beneath the tree gave a smile as she read her PDA. Lucario had managed to get all his lobes up and running. Now came the task of controlling that extra power.

Meir nodded at Ash who instinctively guessed what he had to do.

'Alright Lucario, try another Aura Sphere!'

With a mighty grunt, the blue-black Pokémon brought forth its hands, pouring energy into their intersection. The blue ball now reached a good size, but it was wildly unstable. Lucario struggled to focus as his opponent's Psychic attack was still disrupting his ability to concentrate. Luckily, the sheer energy that he drew from the surroundings was enough to break the psychic barrier that Gardevoir had formed around him. With a rippling noise, the two Pokémon fell back to the ground as the unstable Aura Sphere exploded in mid-air. The battlers were unfazed at their crash-landing and simply got up again despite their weakened state.

'May!' Meir called out. The young coordinator nodded as she quickly sat back on the ground in the meditating position she had been taught in the morning. It was a simple, but brilliant idea. Since Lucario's premature evolution was probably triggered by the reaction to May's developing Aura, it could be given the same stimulus which would act as a metaphorical "key", which could proceed to "unlock" the various aspects of his brain and congenital abilities. A pale blue glow around the Pokémon seen in the light of the setting sun was a confirmation that the plan was working. While May was unknowingly merging her Aura with Ash in Sinnoh, Lucario, then a Riolu was using it as stimulation as it gathered energy for evolution.

Bliss recognized the significance of this immediately. It further evidenced the modern theory of Pokémon evolution. Simply put, seventy-four percent of the energy contained in the universe cannot be seen directly, but it affects us in indirect ways. This "Dark Energy" is the chief constituent of the Aura fingerprint of different people and different organisms. More so, it affects all Pokémon who unconsciously absorb and store this energy to a certain point. Beyond this point, they evolve as long as they satisfy certain conditions which their instincts deem necessary to for their progression. Ash's Lucario seemed to have reached that "evolution point" much sooner due to his exposure to unique aura, as well as its species' natural attraction towards such power sources. However, this led to some negative side-effects wherein the Pokémon's mind wasn't psychologically ready to accept evolution, blocking several neural pathways in his brain to prevent it from the same "sensory overload" that it's trainer had to bear.

That barrier seemed to have been finally removed.

Just then, Lucario passed out, exhausted from the ordeal. A red beam of light later, the Pokémon was recalled by its trainer. Ash looked at the Pokeball, his expression carrying a glimmer of worry for his battle partner.

'Is he alright?'

Meir rubbed his forehead as he nodded his head slowly. 'He should be. Just give him some time.'

Ash nodded, and walked towards May. The coordinator had passed out from exhaustion due to the stress of continually accessing her newfound senses. Ash was feeling wobbly as well, with the adrenaline from the battle no longer pulsing through his bloodstream.

He could vaguely see Meir exchanging a few words with his Gardevoir, after which the Pokémon went to seemingly explore the garden. The champion trainer walked towards Ash and gently, but firmly held his right arm, supporting him. Meir was careful not to make contact with his younger counterpart's skin, so as not to cause the trainer to pass out. Ahead of them Bliss gently picked up May's sleeping form and proceeded to walk in the direction of the Pokémon centre. She gave Meir one glance, and both he and Ash nodded in understanding.

They were done for the day. The skies were turning dark as the sun set, and May needed to be put into bed as soon as possible.

As the distance between the two coordinators and the duo of trainers increased, Meir looked at Ash. The younger trainer was visibly exhausted. It was mental as well as physical which was evidenced by his sluggish movements and drooping eyelids. His half-closed chocolate orbs seemed to be focused on the nearing lights of the Pokémon Centre and the silhouette of the two coordinators, one carrying the other in her arms.

'Protect her Ash.' Meir said quietly, causing the trainer to jerk his head up.

'What?' he asked, his tone was a tired, albeit inquiring one.

'Rainbow Valley isn't the safest of places, as I'm sure I told you.' Meir replied in the same quiet tone, his gaze shifting towards the approaching building. 'We might get separated, and you will have to protect and trust each other when the time comes – which might be just two days away.' His gaze settled upon the tired trainer, who seemed to have his full attention. 'Trust May and protect her, let her do the same for you.' He smiled as they approached the automatic doors, the two coordinators out of their sight by now. 'She's a special girl, isn't she?'

Ash matched the older trainer's gaze and returned the smile, gentle warmth spreading throughout his whole system.

'She is.' He agreed.

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A/N:

Alright guys, please don't yell at me. I know that this chapter is way too short for the time it was being written, but I've managed to make a decent enough schedule to get this story back on track after months of sparse updates. I apologize for the time it took, really! I'm going to hope against all odds that I manage to get this fic done by the end of the summer. Which means...10-15 more chapter...ish? Reviews encourage me, so try and write one for me alright? :D


	11. Apprehension

A/N: My hard disk died. I had to write this chapter twice. :(

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Chapter Eleven: Apprehension

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**Mount Coronet: **

Sinnoh was manageably pleasant in the summer. Of course, the perpetually snow-ridden tops of Mount Coronet were a different story altogether.

Virtually inaccessible, the fabled top of Mount Coronet, known in legend only as the Spear Pillar, was said to be the base of the Dragon Trio: their abode on the planet they had created, among many others. Ancient pillars and ionic columns adorned the peak, said to be erected millennia ago with humans and Pokémon working together. They lay in ruins as the peak lay unmanaged and unmaintained. Long after civilization was formed, the Dragon Trio had laid their three sources of power in the area: a power which could be used to protect the planet in case of an unprecedented disaster. The legends told that they later went on to make more worlds, all within that large time period between the moment of creation and the sprouting of the seeds of life.

The legends were taken seriously by some people. Team Galactic thought they weren't being taken seriously enough, in their own selfish way. Team Rocket complained that the legends were a lure, a challenge to the best of humanity (like themselves) to find the stones and claim their power.

Both the organizations had grudgingly agreed to one obvious fact: the "Adamant Orb" and the "Lustrous Orb" which were exhibited at Eterna City were quite obviously fake. They were hardly the stuff of legend, and were merely rather large precious stones.

Only two people in the world knew that the large stones were merely _containers_, holding something far greater, smaller and more precious. They held the essence of one of the powers which created those stones, and the containers were empty. The Essence of Space was yet to be found.

The legend went on to say more: of how there were only two truly powerful stones: the Platinum orb, their third cousin, was a buffer. A portal to Giratina's reverse world which kept the living one in perfect balance. A buffer space where exotic particles interacted and annihilated each other harmlessly, without endangering the other dimensions. Naturally invaluable, but practically insignificant.

Why then, did both the crime syndicates send their agents on missions to capture the onyx artefact? Maybe it was just for the scrapes of the valuable platinum metal used to make the stones. Maybe they would have reconsidered the mission if they knew that the Sinnoh Elite Four were personally guarding the extraction process. Most likely, they knew that it was an artefact of immense significance, and there would be a short time-delay between the Elite Four leaving their post and the regional Champion entering it.

The different between the two Syndicates was who they sent on this mission. Giovanni chose a trio known for its failure. Cyrus chose two of his commanders, and the latter indeed got there first, especially considering that Sinnoh was the Galactics' home base.

Saturn and Mars nodded to each other, concealed in the former's Gallade-made perception field. It was a concept the Galactics had picked up on their own, although the portable scope of it was limited. Indeed, the agile green-white Pokémon that was projecting it was having a lot of difficulty due to the thirty-odd strength of the extraction team. That's why the two commanders, on their solo mission to capture the Platinum Orb, were hidden amongst the scarred boulders that dotted the narrow pathways of Mount Coronet.

'We need to split up.' said Saturn, a blue haired male with a convex haircut. His female partner gave a small nod, and both of them took off in opposite directions. Ahead of them, the extraction team had just barely managed to make headway to the orb. It was nearly a hundred meters below the ground, and required careful extraction.

'The change in shift's going to be soon.' Mars told her teammate though the radio communicator. The Sinnoh Elite Four were guarding the extraction process, and the Champion was responsible for transporting the orb. However, there was going to be a short time gap – a few days from now – between the time when the Elite Four left and the Champion arrived, and that was when they would make their move.

However, their confidence in the plan made them miss two things: the awareness of Team Rocket's future presence and the odd expression that Lucian of the Elite Four was wearing as he quietly ordered his Alakazam to initiate a psychic probe.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**Sunneyshore City:**

'Here we go! We're back in Sunnyshore.' Cynthia said happily as she led her group out into the harbour. Dawn, Drew and Brock followed her out of the ferry which was provided to them by the PLA. As they walked out of the sleek boat and onto the shore of Sinnoh once again, they were met with the buzzing sights of the modern city. The blond champion quickly led them to the adjoining monorail terminal – a transportation network that was built in Sunnyshore shortly after the city went solar.

'Alright,' Cynthia explained quickly, making sure that the other three members of her group, 'I'm going over to Meir's place to meet his mother and collect a few things we need – it won't take more than an hour at the most. You three should go to Pokémon Centre C – it's given on this route – ' Cynthia pointed to a route map on the station wall ' – and it's the same one that you stayed in last time.' She looked at Brock. 'I'll trust you with this, alright?' The breeder nodded, understanding his responsibilities considering he was the only other adult in the group.

Cynthia smiled as she took out a Pokeball. She playfully dropped it and it opened, expelling her Togekiss into the physical world. The round, white Pokémon chirped cheerfully as it nodded to Cynthia, and in the next second, the two had took off into the air.

Brock, Drew and Dawn blinked at their guide's rather sudden exit. They shrugged it off and went towards the station, intending to board the next monorail that went along the route Cynthia had described. Neither of them noticed the ever-present eyes of Team Rocket watching as they boarded the train.

Uncharacteristically quiet, the trio simply nodded to each other. It was best to take advantage of this time-gap. They quickly ran out into the park as Jessie and James eyed two new Pokeballs. Giovanni had them dropped off at Sunnyshore so as not to draw the Galactic's attention to their presence. However, they still needed quick transport across the continent, and had grudgingly provided them the team's fastest carrier Pigeots.

It was time to make use of them.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**Cherrygrove City:**

'My brain feels all fuzzy now.' Ash complained. It was their third day of training, three days which he wasn't likely to forget anytime soon. He had never done this before, training himself to such a great extreme. It was mostly Pokémon, and a little bodybuilding which was an automatic consequence of being a trainer. He hadn't trained his mind and senses so much...but he managed to figure out that this might be a part of the secret that got Meir and Bliss where they were right now. The only good thing about it was how much he got to know the two top trainers and May so much better. The younger coordinator had a lot of stories to share about her solo Johto journey.

May, who was in the same state as her partner, only gave a grunt in agreement. She had never been so mentally stressed in her whole life. It just got worse after the first day, when she found out the next morning that she had passed out, only for her body to protest against the Aura training. Her senses were going haywire after half of the second day was over. Just now, both the trainers were out for "some much needed fresh air" as Bliss had put it, while she and Meir "contacted Cynthia and the Pokémon Council" over some minor details of the missions. She wasn't complaining and was just relieved at being left early.

Actually, they were going to leave for Rainbow Valley tomorrow, and May just couldn't get that pricking sensation of fear out of her heart. Her one comfort was that she wasn't doing this alone. She was going with two of the most powerful trainers in the world. She was going with Ash, the very same _Ash _who got her into this mess in the first place. Not that she minded – in fact, she was sure that she couldn't thank him enough for just being there for her when she started out. She knew that if it wasn't for Ash's infectious enthusiasm and Drew's insistent rivalry, she wouldn't have been a tenth of the coordinator she was now.

'Hey May!' he called out, grinning at her. A pair of sapphire orbs looked back questioningly. Ash confirmed it – she was weary of the journey tomorrow, and he would help her overcome that fear in any way possible. He had an idea from when he had cheered us Dawn from her contest loss.

'Wanna get some ice cream?' he asked. Pikachu's ears perked at this. May smiled. She could tell that he was trying to distract her from her thoughts. Oh what _would _she do without him?

'Sure Ash!' she said, winking at Pikachu. She felt her hand being grabbed by a storm arm, gently dragging her along. May could keep up easily; after all, Ash was tired as well.

They turned into a small ice-cream shop at the end of the lane, quite close to Cherrygrove's Pokémon Centre. A few people were eating the dessert there, although considering the summer season, there should have been a few more. Ash noticed that a few people were giving him and May glances of recognition. It wasn't that uncommon now that they were fairly well known in the Pokémon circuits, and Ash _was _the most recent Sinnoh champion.

'I need to go for a bit. Can you get us the ice-creams?' He said, pointing towards his Pokeballs. May nodded in understanding. The trainer had yet to let out his current "cycle", while she had done so already. Basically, Pokeballs work on a matter-energy conversion principle, and need to be recharged periodically. Travelling trainers do this once a month or so, and they let out their Pokémon while they deposit the Pokeballs in a recharging station which every Pokémon centres has. Since they were going to be out for a while, now was a good time for the recharge.

May sighed as she made way to the counter. Unintentionally, Ash had just reminded her that they _were _heading out tomorrow on a dangerous journey. During the beginning of her adventures, she would be really excited at the prospect, but from the years of travelling, she had come to sense danger and knew that it should be avoided. She just focused on ordering two ice creams as the lady at the counter pointed to a free seat in the corner, and told her that she would direct her boyfriend their when he returned.

May blinked, but nodded, thinking it was best to ignore the last part for now (although she could feel her face heat up a bit), and headed to her table carrying two large cones. She could admit to herself that she was a lot closer to the raven haired trainer than she'd ever been, but she could always sort out her feelings after they had come back. She was sure of one thing though: Ash wasn't leaving on another journey without her. It was just not as fun as when she travelled by herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the said trainer as he warily sat down and dug into his dessert.

'Pikachu went too.' Ash said, answering May's questioning look. 'I told him there was no ketchup in an ice-cream shop.' May giggled a little before her face faltered again. Ash took notice of that – there was something disconcerting about how she was taking their journey...maybe she was having second thoughts or she felt forced to come? The thought made a squirm of guilt swim in his stomach.

Before he opened his mouth to speak, May quickly shook her head and waved the question off. Ash forgot – she could read his emotions if she wanted to.

'It's alright Ash.' she said. 'I want to go to Rainbow Valley ... it's just that I think that something bad is going to happen. I...' she tailed off looking a bit lost as she quietly finished her ice cream. Ash shook his head as he got up and began guiding May out of the shop.

'We need to sleep, that's all. Come on!'

The duo jogged out of the shop and towards the Pokémon centre, the physical exercise doing its job of getting May's mind off the journey that awaited them the next day. Ash was probably not aware that he had a very good effect on calming and encouraging people, but then again, May wasn't aware of her own effect of diluting any kind of tension that developed around her. It was a unique combination that did wonders for both of their performances in the Kanto Grand Festival and the Battle Frontier.

'Do you still feel uncomfortable?'

The duo turned to see Meir tiredly walking towards them as he emerged from the modestly-lit Pokémon Center. He motioned to the physical contact between the younger trainers as they supported each other gently after the jog. Upon hearing his question, both the trainers became conscious that physical contact between them no longer felt uncomfortable, or sent unpleasant sensations to their brain. However, it was still very different from what they would have felt an year ago – it had a warmer tone and a gentle touch. They simply shook their heads in response.

Meir grinned. He didn't say it aloud but he knew that the two of them were getting very close. '_Bee is going to have a field day.'_ he thought. The elite trainer lazily waved his hand, motioning the duo to come closer.

'Bliss is still working on the details in our room. You two get some sleep – I'm going to wake you up early tomorrow.' He got a "yes" in response and the sight of the duo rushing up the stairs towards their rooms. Ash didn't know this, but Gardevoir had met up with some of his Pokémon who were currently strolling around the park waiting for their Pokeballs to recharge. Meir was pleasantly surprised to see that Ash was taking this very seriously and had probably gathered his most powerful team to bring with him to Rainbow Valley. Of course, he _had _won the Sinnoh League and that would leave anyone to believe that he was a powerful trainer.

Meir had a feeling that he was going to be challenged to a battle he'd have a hard time winning in a just a few years.

He shrugged, and casually walked back to his and his wife's room.

/\/\/\

A young pair of a trainer and a coordinator walked slowly back into their room, gently allowing the door behind them to close with a soft "click". Pikachu had already scurried it's way to the top and was in a deep slumber, possibly dreaming about the delights of ketchup and his favourite trainer as well as the brunette he had become rather attached to.

The said coordinator was busy talking to the trainer in a rather quiet tone, not wanting to wake the rodent up. After repeatedly reassuring the insistent teen named Ash Ketchum, whom she assured that she had no problems with their trip whatsoever, she gave him a tight hug with a light peck on the cheek and dug into her bed as Ash went over to lie down next to the yellow mouse.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A/N:

Right, the next chapters should be on schedule now. I'm pretty sure I missed out something here, but that'll be there in the next chapter.


	12. Rainbow Valley

A/N: A legendary Pokémon appears in this chapter. Guess.

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Chapter Twelve: Rainbow Valley

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'_May! Wake up!' _She could hear her name being whispered and repeated over and over again. Her eyes were still closed as she grimaced in discomfort. Something or someone was continually poking her head, trying her get her out of that oh-so-comfortable bed. Her lips pouted. She didn't want to get up. She was having such a nice - although bizarre - dream involving her and -

'Ash!' she said, opening her eyes with full force. The coordinator felt slightly dizzy with the sudden intake of light. She saw a large yellow blob obstructing most of her field of vision. Blinking, her thoughts quickly organized themselves and everything came in at once. Today was _the day_. May jolted up to a sitting position, but she banged into a startled Ash's head along the way.

'Ouch.' The trainer rubbed his forehead quickly and proceeded to pull the wincing coordinator out of her head. 'You're _late _May! We need to move _now!_' She didn't miss his emphasis on those words.

May grumbled. Now she definitely didn't want to get out of her cosy bed. Looking at the chronometer, she saw that it was merely half-past-five: and that was quite early on in the day. Besides, Ash's warmth was acting as a tranquilizer, lulling her to sleep. She could sense that he wasn't feeling up for their big journey as well; it was almost natural to be able to tell his mood from his Aura now, but she knew that they had to get going sometime_ today_.

'Pikaaa.' The yellow Pokémon cooed a rather long yawn before lazily bouncing on top of his trainer's head, who had just finished putting on his trademark cap. May found herself staring absently at the duo. They always seemed to create a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her stomach that yet again, made her want to do nothing more than go back to sleep at this time of the day. She shook herself awake and proceeded to walk over to the bathroom for a shower, but took a while to notice that Ash was trying to stop her, saying things like "no time", and explaining how Bliss told them they'd be better off if they didn't take a shower before their journey.

Shrugging, she went over to her fanny pack and took out the Itemball that contained her clothes. She _nearly _forgot about Ash still being in the room and headed off to the bathroom to change into her not-so-new-anymore blue and white attire. Fortunately, she remembered the last time Ash had berated her slow dressing speed and also the fact that they were going on a mission that could very well change their lives. She was done in a mere three minutes and came out into the room, fully dressed, watching Ash place the last item - with great care - inside his bag. It was something she knew all too well.

'You still carry that with you?' May asked him, her voice taking on a softer tone. Ash smiled as he motioned Pikachu to hop on his shoulder, to which the electric-type complied.

'Always. Don't you?' he asked.

May reached into one of the outer compartments of her fanny pack, pulling out her half of the Terracotta ribbon.

'Of course.' she replied, smiling faintly. There was a long silence which was interrupted by a knock on the door.

'Time to go, both of you!' came Bliss' muffled voice. May hastily put her remaining belongings into the fanny pack and pulled up its zipper. The door opened, revealing the Grand Coordinator, who entered the room.

Bliss was wearing slightly different attire. It contained streaks of maroon but was primarily light blue and dark green, an unusual blend that, strangely enough, seemed to accent her striking figure. The dress was obviously tough, perfect for the task its wearer was planning to do. She looked fresh, but from her unusually discomforted expression, it was clear that she wasn't much of a morning person.

'Is that a ribbon May?' she asked curiously, gesturing to the object that the latter was still holding in her hand. 'You shouldn't bring it to Rainbow Valley you know, you might lose it: you'll need it for the next Festival!'

The younger coordinator held it up, showing that it was only half a ribbon. May opened her mouth to explain -

'Oh.' Bliss said, somehow understanding the situation. Her eyes flickered to Ash for a moment. 'I see. Come on then!' she said. With a swish of dark hair, she walked out of the room, but not before flashing each of them a grin.

Ash caught May's gaze, but the latter just shrugged, and the two hurried off of into the hallway.

There were only two other trainers besides their group of four (plus Pikachu). They seemed rather excited, having got both Meir and Bliss's autographs and quickly scurried up past Ash and May as they headed into their room down the Pokémon Centre's corridor. Bliss had an unusually serious look on her face while talking to her husband, but broke off the conversation when she spotted her younger accomplices walking down the stairway. The Centre's lights were still on, but the dull orange sky indicated that sunrise was due soon enough.

'Hey!' Meir called out, waving the duo to come closer. All four of them were equipped and ready...or as ready as they would ever be. 'All set to go?' asked Meir. His attire had also received some minor modifications, the most notable beings a rather thick watch-like PDA which was attached to his wrist. He wore peculiar gloves with metallic lines running through them. They seemed similar to those gloves that Sir Arron used to wear, but they were quite different in design – more minimalistic and of a darker shade of blue, almost looking black from a distance.

'What's that?' Ash asked, pointing to the device.

'It's a prototype PokéNav actually.' He said, letting the two younger trainers examine it as they moved closer to get a better look. 'The Pokétch Corporation in Jubilife thought of making a variation to attract trainers instead of coordinators. They teamed up with Hoenn's Devon Corporation and made this; I was asked to test it.'

'Will it work...wherever we are going?' May asked, her eyebrows furrowed. 'Max always complained that it needs to be in the coverage area or it doesn't work.'

'Don't worry about that, May.' Meir replied tapping the large device. 'It's really tough and guided by satellite. Since we're going to a secret location, the PLA modified it so that it shows the areas which are hidden by a perception filter.' He turned to Bliss, who nodded back.

'We better go.' She said simply. 'Follow me.'

The quartet walked out of the Pokémon centre after thanking a smiling Nurse Joy, all strangely close to each other. It was instinct after all: they could get separated in Rainbow Valley. Ho-oh most likely knew they were coming. Not only that, but the legendary bird was sure to have put up a few challenges for them as well. May realized that she was still holding her half of the Terracotta ribbon and quickly put it into her fanny pack. The sky had changed into a brilliant vermillion as they walked towards the Cherrygrove harbour. There was a distinct chill in the air, maybe foreshadowing the journey to come.

After the short walk, they found themselves standing on an empty pier, looking at the vast ocean. Meir took a step forwards, holding a standard red-white Pokeball in his hand with the official Pokémon League Association insignia on its upper part.

'I borrowed this from the PLA.' Meir announced, although mainly to the two younger trainers since Bliss already knew. 'We'll be using her to get to Rainbow Valley, but first,' he paused, waiting to have everyone's attention, 'Did you manage to bring a water-type with you, just in case there's an accident?'

The younger trainers held a Pokeball each.

'I have my Totodile.' replied Ash.

'And my Squirtle.' said May.

Bliss simply nodded at the question, taking out an Ultraball and waving it at Meir. The latter threw his PLA-borrowed Pokeball out into the sea, where a magnificently large figure emerged from the tiny sphere. The Wailord flipped its massive fin and turned around, facing its current trainer.

'Care to give us a ride, Wailord?' Meir asked, as he faced the Pokémon's massive frame. In response, the water-type lowered one of its fins, aligning itself to the pier, acting as a makeshift staircase. Bliss made her way to their improvised ferry, balancing herself onto the fin and climbing up the Pokémon's curved body. She sat down with a soft _thud, _patting the blue skin of her carrier, taking out her own familiar PDA. The others followed her soon with Meir going in last and stumbled slightly, seemingly distracted by his new PokeNav. As soon as everyone was comfortable, Bliss slid over to the front slightly to one side, and began whispering instructions into its ears, pausing to look at her PDA every now and then. Wailords did have ears, but they weren't visible as they contrasted with their vast size.

The others could only make out a few of the words she said...'_Ten miles south...Sevii...east...'_

'She's much better at handling water-types than I am.' Meir mumbled, still fiddling with his PokéNav. The Sun had nearly come up now, but no one was really paying attention to its ascension over the sea. He had a rather frustrated look on his face as he kept pressing on different parts of it. Curious, May leaned over his shoulder, while Ash was wondering about what the older trainer said.

'I've been wondering for a while,' said Ash, 'do some people attract a certain Pokémon-type?' He looked at Pikachu and back at Meir. 'I've been with Pikachu for a long time, and he's my best Pokémon friend, but I've never caught another electric-type.'

'Most people think they do.' Meir replied, looking back at Ash. May took the opportunity to take a closer look at the gadget. 'You should ask Bliss about that, I don't know so much about Pokémon behaviour and such.' He turned back to his PDA and May was looking at the digitized map, dumbstruck.

'It's not far, is it?' Meir grinned. 'If it was in the middle of the ocean, we would never have found it.'

There was a gentle tug as Wailord started flapping its fins. They were moving with accelerating speed. Apparently, this Pokémon was trained for transporting people, and it almost felt like travelling onboard a large ship. The deep rumbles of the vast creature were actually quite soothing. Bliss and Ash delicately slid towards the other two members of their quartet. May gently grabbed Ash, and directed his sight towards the PokéNav.

'The Sevii Islands?' asked Ash, frowning. 'I never went there when I was in Johto, but I remember Misty talking about them.'

'Oh,' said May, 'I had a contest there; the ribbon can be used for either Johto or Kanto. I thought you might have gone there before.' She blushed, embarrassed. 'I never thought that Ho-oh would live so close to the Sevii islands though.'

'Ho-oh's pretty smart isn't he?' Bliss commented. 'He hid himself near an island called Navel Rock, which are the ancient ruins of Southern Pokemopolis. Pretty ironic if you ask me.'

'You told us you were possessed once, remember Ash?' said Meir, resting his free arm on Wailord's skin. The wind was picking up speed as they went faster. 'Ho-oh tried to kill the King of Pokélantis after his army destroyed his original home – the Tin Tower in Ecruteak City. The King's base was right near the Sevii islands –'

'Around here,' Bliss had snuggled herself beside Meir and pointed to the location displayed on the digital map, 'right between the Orange Archipelago and Sevii two. Ho-oh chose to rest at a place that was conquered by the King who tried to control him.' She traced the line that connected the two geographical features. 'The Prime Lugia is said to live north of Sevii One, near Shamouti, although the Lugia breeding grounds are near Whirl, a little east of Cainwood City in Johto.'

'It makes sense now...' Ash mumbled, lost in thought. That strange sensation that he had felt all those years ago...that mere presence of Lugia which jolted his senses with sheer wonder, just like Ho oh did when he first left Pallet Town, had returned then. He was getting that same feeling again, the sensation of the powerful Aura that certain legendary Pokémon possessed. Only this time he was able to identify it, thanks to the training. He just focused on locating it, passing his time. However, it took him a while to notice that the May and Bliss were staring at him intently. Meir seemed to be watching him out of the corner of his eye.

'What?' Ash said defensively, blushing in embarrassment. He was beginning to feel strangely conscious when May focused her eyes at him like that, accompanied by a rather warm feeling in his stomach.

'You noticed it too?' asked May, her sapphire orbs still gazing intently at Ash.

'He seems to have noticed it better than all of us.' Bliss observed. Wailord had begun to make a rumbling sound again. Their ride was no longer speeding up, but they were still travelling rather quickly, and there were times when the whale-Pokémon had nearly submerged itself into the sea, leaving a spot of skin above the surface for them to sit on. Johto's shore had long since disappeared. For how long had he spaced out like that?

'Look over there!' Meir exclaimed, leaning down to look at the ocean so that he almost fell over into it. The others were quick to follow him, with May having to hold onto Ash when he almost missed his footing.

'Ah...thanks May.' Ash said. The coordinator nodded and pointed at the ocean. Through the sparkle of the deep waters, they were able to make out a rough shape that dominated the lighter blue, a shadow that floated besides them, keeping up effortlessly with their giant Pokémon. It was the same source of power that Ash had felt all those years ago.

'Isn't that?' asked Ash.

'Lugia? Of course.' Meir nodded, briefly glancing at Bliss, who nodded, and returning to gaze at the shadow.

'It's Lugia Prime. I'm sure of it.' said Bliss, as she carefully scanned the hidden figure.

'Hey Lugia!' Ash exclaimed, waving to the figure with one hand holding onto Wailord, oblivious to the incredulous looks from his companions. 'It's been a long time!'

In response, the shadow quickly ascended to the surface, bursting out of the ocean and into their air with immense force. The quartet had to shield themselves with their arms as they faced the gush of water raining on them. Shaking it off, they turned to see what they had expected: a Lugia of immense size. A "normal" Lugia would grow to a size of five meters from head to tail, but this one was much bigger, solidifying its status as the Prime Legendary, the guardian of the seas.

The blue-white bird turned its neck to look at the group, before using its psychic telepathic abilities to answer. 'Hello Ash. My counterpart is expecting all four of you.' The ethereal feel of having a voice in your head always had a very impressive effect on the victim of telepathic conversation. This was especially true if the speaker was a rare and magnificent Legendary Pokémon.

May's hand automatically sought Ash's, as the latter gave them a gentle reassuring squeeze. This was the first time she had seen a Lugia, although she remembered Ash's stories from their Hoenn travelling days about the incident in the Orange Islands. Max didn't believe him, but she did. Her brother was going to be _really _jealous when she would tell him about this! That thought and Ash's reassurance were the only things keeping her calm from the stormy gaze of the legendary being.

'So Ho-oh _does _know we're coming.' Meir grumbled. 'I'm sure there'll be a good welcoming party.'

'Yes, he wishes to test you.' Lugia responded. Its wings were perfectly still as it flew, resembling an aeroplane more than a bird.

'What kind of test?' asked May, her curiosity overcoming her surprise at the bird's sudden arrival.

'You must incapacitate his three creations. The First must be done with grace, the Second, with power, and the third with a union of both.' Lugia answered, as if those lines were ingrained into her mind. Drastically changing the gentle path of her flight, the guardian of the seas shot high into the sky, spreading the breadth of her wings. With a single powerful flap, the Pokémon unleashed a gale of tremendous force, leaving the quartet gripping on tightly to their ride and trying their hardest not to drown. They felt themselves being thrown back as the force of the wind sent them, and their ride speeding towards a now-visible island. After nearly ten minutes of the soaking speed, they heard a very clear 'Good Luck' inside their heads before Lugia disappeared out of their sight, as quickly as she came.

'Ugh...'

'You alright Pikachu? May?' asked Ash as he blinked the seawater out of his eyes. He wasn't injured in the least bit, but felt like his whole body had been fired through a canon.

'Pika!' The Pokémon reassured him, shaking the wetness off its fur.

'I'm not hurt at all, just wet.' said May, trying drenching the wet clothes slightly. Her hair had settled down from the usual gravity-defying twin locks she usually had, into a more compact form around her neckline, slightly spread out over her collarbones. The coordinator noticed the change and sighed. 'My hair is all messed up.'

'You sound like Dawn.' Ash commented sarcastically. 'It's fine.' He tilted his head as his yellow companion hopped on his shoulder, and got onto his feet. Spotting Meir and Bliss who had landed quite a few feet away from them, he waved. 'Let's go May.' He offered his hand and the coordinator grabbed it, standing up. She was looking at Ash with a curiously odd expression.

'What?' The trainer asked defensively. May hesitated before speaking.

'Do you...think it's better this way?' She fingered her brunette locks as she spoke.

Ash froze momentarily. Whenever Dawn tried out a new hairstyle, he and Brock were expected to list its good points::how it suited her, how it would look at a contest, all like they were professional fashion experts. He prayed that May would remember the importance of their mission before jumping up on him with those questions. Knowing there was no avoiding it, he scanned the new hairstyle and smiled. She _did_ look a lot more striking in it, especially with the drops of water trailing down her face, over her lips...

'Yeah, it looks really nice.'

The coordinator's face lit up like a Christmas tree, before she grabbed the trainer's hand, gave him a tight hug, muttered a quick "thanks" and dragged him towards their older companions without another word. Ash was a little confused at her behaviour, but felt relieved that she hadn't started a long questioning session. He felt oddly warm by the importance she attached to his opinion.

They arrived just in time to see Meir returning the Wailord (which seemed oddly relieved to be out of the water), while Bliss was double checking their baggage. The champion trainer turned to check his PokeNav and raised an eyebrow while examining it.

'It looks like we're here.' he announced, gesturing to the island. The quartet turned to look around the shore, and two of them seemed horrified what they saw.

'There's nothing here!' Ash said angrily. He had become increasingly agitated since Lugia blasted them here. 'It's just a small piece of land, and that,' he said, pointing to the ocean opposite to the side they came from, 'is the biggest whirlpool I've _ever _seen!'

Bliss playfully pulled off the younger trainer's hat (much to his annoyance), and ruffled his hair. 'That's a short temper you've got there mister Ketchum! I think you know now why I told you not to take a shower!' She pulled May's shoulder so that both the younger trainers were facing the whirlpool. 'What did we tell you about _perception filters_?'

Ash flushed with embarrassment while May giggled. Both of them closed their eyes and focused their senses, just like they had been doing so during their training. What they felt astonished them: it was the same sensation of pure power they felt when near Lugia, although it was definitely something different from the blue-white bird. The source was definitely somewhere on the opposite side of the whirlpool, in almost a straight line ahead of them. They opened their eyes.

'Right there.' said Meir, his chartreuse orbs sparkling with amazement. The Whirlpool never really existed. Both the sight and sound of turbulent water had been replaced by a massive extension of the island. It was the most confusing, but wonderful sight ever seen with, an array of very steep hills and deep trenches that seed to litter the valley. Giant tress and odd crystal-projections dominated the terrain, which was littered with countless flowers, accompanied by the roundest pebbled that could be mistaken for pearls. The hillsides seemed to give of an odd sparkle and glimmer, which proved to be slightly disorienting to any visitor. The valley was littered with countless streams and patches of water, but there were two features that stood out the most.

There was a single graded hill, far taller than the others, the peak of the island. Around the peak was what seemed to be an eternally raging fire, one that did not burn out, nor did it spread outwards to consume the vegetation. The peak was their obvious destination. In fact, a rough path which seemed to be made from something shiny and silvery was paved to the top of the peak, and fortunately began right from the place they landed.

There was no doubt about it, this was Rainbow Valley.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Note: I will refer to Lugia in the female and Ho-oh in the made gender, even though they're genderless. Same goes to the Legendary Birds and Beasts: the former will be female and the latter, male.


	13. The Shimmering Path

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Chapter Thirteen: The Shimmering Path

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'Wow!' May breathed. She was in awe at the sight of the most secret island in the world, and there seemed to be a very good reason for it to be kept secret. On a closer inspection, it was apparent that not only was the island Ho-oh's nesting ground, but the extinct volcano had flung out a large quantity of precious metals and stones onto the surface. The faint glitter of the hills was that of different crystals and the shiny trail to the summit was – literally – laced with silver.

'This wasn't made only by Pokémon.' said Bliss, waking towards the silver trail. There were large blocks of stone which seemed to be a gate of sorts. It was apparent that the path was levelled and paved at one time, but the sands of time had weathered it down considerably. The older coordinator motioned to the others to take a look at the stone slabs. Upon inspection, the quartet observed hieroglyphs and runic symbols, written in lettering shaped in the likeness of the twenty-eight shapes of Unown, the Symbol Pokémon.

'We never knew what this meant the first time we came here.' said Meir, running his hand over the inscriptions. 'We couldn't decipher this writing – the scrip is readable but the language is something else. We copied it down and gave it for translation when we came back.'

'The writing explains a bit about the island itself.' Bliss explained. 'We were surprised that all of this – 'she motioned to the valley, '– was a natural formation. It turns out that it wasn't.'

'Who made it then?' asked Ash.

'Well...we don't really know.' Meir sighed, turning to face the silvery trail. 'There are a lot of mysteries about these "Temples" to legendary Pokémon and who built them. Most historians are quite sure that it was the work of just a single civilization which existed a long time ago.' He pointed at the path, which slivered all the way to the tip of the mountain. 'All this inscription says is...'

'..that _is _Rainbow Valley and that trail _is _made out of silver. It's called the Shimmering Path.' Bliss finished.

'Real Silver?' asked May, her eyes wide amazement.

'Well, part silver, but it is real.' replied Bliss, raising her right hand. A simple silver ring rested on her third finger. 'Our wedding rings are made from that silver. I have to hand it to Meir though,' she grinned, 'for someone who's as inert as he is can be pretty romantic sometimes.'

'It's pretty!' exclaimed May, admiring the ornament's simple design and shiny surface. Bliss chuckled, and started walking towards the silvery trail. On a closer look at the path, it was evident that it did not lead to the peak of the island directly. In fact, it was anything but straightforward. The whole path could hardly be seen, considering the size of the island, but the little of it that was visible revealed several twists and turns, ascending and descending up and down the mountainous terrain. It was going to be a long hike for sure.

'Hey!' Meir waved to the two girls, Ash being with him. They were already a hundred meters or so ahead of the lagging duo plus Pokémon. 'Can we get a move on?'

'That was _not _nice!' Bliss snapped, racing to catch up with May running behind her.

'We didn't leave you behind.' Ash said defensively. 'The ground kinda started moving on its own.' Bliss' eyes widened and she latched onto May, making a brief eye contact with an anxious-looking Meir who returned a silent nod. Pikachu looked towards his trainer, and quickly jolted towards Bliss and May, as he was closer to them. As the sound of their footsteps on the shimmering path echoed airily in the backdrop of the vast ocean, a low rumble could be heard. It was as if the island itself was making the sound, growing ever stronger in amplitude. The ground started shaking, gently at first, escalating into a full-scale earthquake.

The quartet stopped moving and landed on their knees, bracing themselves for the inevitable impact of the wave. Swiftly, it was as if a wall of solid shimmering rock had been created in mere seconds, cutting off contact between the two groups. The ground began to stabilize, and in no time at all, it was like the quake had never occurred. The only proof of that was the solid wall dividing May, Bliss and Pikachu from Ash and Meir.

'Wh-what just happened?' asked May, her worried voice carrying over to the other side of the wall with almost perfect clarity. There was no muffling of sound – only sight. They could still hear each other perfectly.

'This,' replied Meir 'is the reason why it took us two _weeks_ to get to the peak.' His voice, too, was perfectly clear. In fact, it seemed to be even clearer than what the others would have heard without the wall separating them.

'The island is very active geologically.' Bliss explained, her footsteps echoing across the silent island. 'The crystals in the walls have something to do with it, and we're sure that Ho-oh has some limited control over them.'

'Not to mention the walls are near perfect reflectors of sound waves, but they're not far enough from each other to induce echoes.' Meir noted. 'We can't see each other, but we can still talk, at least at this distance.'

'Don't try to break it down.' Bliss warned May as she reached out for a Pokeball. 'This is probably a part of Ho-oh's test. I think we'll travel ahead in two groups for a while, but we'll need to have a backup link in case something goes wrong.'

'Unfortunately for us,' replied Meir, 'we only have two comm. devices.' He turned to look at Ash, who was staring at the wall until he returned the gaze. Meir motioned to the PokeNav on his wrist. 'That means we need to stay close. Don't lose each other.' He switched his gaze towards the wall. 'If we do encounter a strong Pokémon, use the emergency beacon.' His voice turned soft, 'I have an idea of who Ho-oh is going to send to attack.'

'...that would be bad.' Bliss replied, her voice possessing a quiet seriousness that surprised the others. She turned to look at her younger partner, whose worried gaze was fixed on the wall.

'Don't worry about Ash.' She told her quietly, enough so that the voice wouldn't be carried over to the other side. 'Worry about ourselves right now.'

'That's right, don't worry you two!' came Ash's excitedly-reassuring voice form the other side of the wall. 'Pikachu, take care of May alright? We'll see you soon enough!'

The younger coordinator nodded whispering an affirmative, although she still remained a little apprehensive. Glancing at the yellow mouse perched on top of her shoulder, she shook herself out of her thoughts, ignoring the trickle of worry in her stomach and the tingle of excitement in her spine as she set off with Bliss and Pikachu into the blaze of the morning sun.

/\/\/\/\

'Mount Coronet at last!' Cynthia exclaimed happily as her group arrived at the outer excavation camp. The others gave a sigh of relief as they finally arrived at their destination, only to stop suddenly when they took in the size of the mountain they were going to climb. After the Sinnoh Champion had suddenly left, they had found themselves chatting idly at Sunnyshore's main Pokémon Centre. It was mainly about Brock's family, seeing as Dawn and especially Drew were new to the idea of having a dozen siblings to take care of. Dawn herself didn't have any siblings, but she could relate to having a brother-sister relationship with her fellow travelling companions. The emerald-haired coordinator, on the other hand, had no prior experience of travelling in a group at all.

As Cynthia surveyed the surroundings, the others took the time to catch their breaths. Motioning the others to follow, the group crossed the threshold of the large Iron Gate that barred the way to the mountain's interior. Caves were a geological feature common to most mountains, thanks to the efforts of Digglet over a span of centuries. Anyhow, the final destination of Cynthia's group was not the underground, but the summit of the mountain. Trekking a few thousands meters up was still going to be a lot of work. Luckily –

'Hey what's that?' asked Dawn, pointing to a rather obviously-artificial cave which seemed to head in the general upwards direction. Drew walked over to it immediately, and started scanning the cave. Brock was looking around, a flashlight in his hand. Cynthia was oddly quiet and seemed to be in a thoughtful state.

'Yes, that's the way!' she exclaimed suddenly. The champion's dramatic shift from her quiet self to an excitable one startled the group slightly, but they nevertheless made to follow her as she started lightly treading up the path made by the cave-passageway.

Dawn was slightly apprehensive, but she continued on, hardening her resolve. She could have sworn that Cynthia had flashed her a quietly encouraging smile. The cave's atmosphere was rather chilly, but she knew she could count on her childhood friend, her travelling partner and the Sinnoh Champion to keep out of harm's way. She wasn't so bad herself. She didn't know that Drew was rather more apprehensive of the ominous cave than she was, but just didn't show it.

The quartet came to a halt as Cynthia held up a hand. She quietly took out a Pokeball – its red gleam was the only thing that made it recognisable in the dim light. Opening the device, a flash of crimson indicated the emergence of her trademark Garchomp. The dark-skinned dragon simply nodded to his trainer, who grabbed hold of the Pokémon's scaly skin in response. She motioned the rest of her group to do the same, and they all tentatively gripped the dragon-type's scales. It was Brock who seemed to have a sudden gleam of understanding in his narrow eyes.

'Rock Climb?' he asked quietly, facing the other adult of the group, who was adjusting her long hair out of Garchomp's claws.

'There's no hiding this move from a former Rock-type Gym Leader, is there?' Cynthia chuckled. Brock grinned, but it soon turned into a frown.

'Don't you think that all four of us are going to be too much for Garchomp?' he asked. The Breeder's question was met with a growl from the said Pokémon, while its trainer returned a fond smile. She shook her head and simply instructed the other three to tighten their grip. Drew and Dawn were slightly confused at their discussion, but only the latter showed any signs of that. Brock understood that Garchomp didn't like to be questioned on its weaknesses. After all, Pokémon had different personalities just like humans. Cynthia's Garchomp was a proud champion.

Moments later, the Dragon-type extended its claws outward as they began to faintly glow. Without a second's notice, the Pokémon and the passengers were propelled forward, rapidly accelerating at high speeds up the tunnels. Dawn and Drew were dumbfounded by the sheer speed, and tightened their grip on their ride. Cynthia still had a soft smile on her face, her eyes covered by her voluminous golden hair. Brock was impressed by Garchomp's sheer speed.

Rock Climb was a move where the Pokémon increases the friction between one portions of their limbs with the ground, and decreases the friction within another portion. A precise combination of this, along with its inner strength (generally the dark-energy component of Aura) allows it to move seamlessly over rock, and give the Pokémon the ability to climb certain inaccessible places.

Of course, Mount Coronet wasn't going to let them get to the top so easily.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

May walked quietly onwards, following the older coordinator along the silvery trail. They had been walking for quite a few hours now, with the sun already beginning its decent into the west. She had been oddly silent after the first two hours of idle chatting with her, a fact that if Bliss had noticed (who was quite lost in her own world herself) hadn't commented upon.

Both of them did acknowledge the brilliance with which the Shimmering Path was constructed. It was designed to take the longest possible time in order to walk from the beginning at the outer edge of the island, to the summit of Ho-oh's mountain. The steep ascents and descents only made to increase the time involved with walking. Both of them were pretty much exhausted in just a few hours' march. There were also several patches of the island which seemed to keep on changing, apparently at random – obviously this was a very active region geologically.

'May?' Bliss said quietly, taking a few slow steps towards a green clearing. The younger coordinator broke out of her reverie upon hearing another voice, the two shades of sapphire eyes soon connected. 'I think it's time for lunch don't you?'

'Huh?' May blinked, her mind immediately turning to her two male team members and Ash's monstrous appetite. 'Shouldn't we wait until we meet up with – 'Her speech was interrupted by a loud lurching protest from her abdomen, causing her to blush in embarrassment.

Bliss let out a giggle. 'Your stomach says otherwise doesn't it?' She gently put her hand on the younger coordinator's blue bandana. 'Meir has some food with him as well. I have some Pokémon food for Pikachu too.' She nodded to the yellow rodent, who had hopped down to the ground. Its ears perked up at the mention of food. There was a beep from Bliss' comm. device, indicating a delivered message. Bliss took a look at it, absently holding the item ball containing their food supply in her other hand. Not taking her eyes off the screen of her PDA, she invited May to read it. They had to communicate using text messages for the simple reason of not drawing attention to themselves. After all, this was supposed to be an island no-one knew about. A stray satellite picking up radio signals from here wouldn't bode well.

_"me and ash eating at quartz lake. Must go. love n take care"_

'They've already started.' Bliss commented, lazily throwing the item ball as the matter-energy conversion worked its magic, materializing a large steel canteen box onto the ground. May went over and took a sniff.

'It smells great! Did Ivysaur make it?' she asked, opening the insulated box.

'You bet!' replied Bliss, proceeding to open the Pokémon food compartment for Pikachu. 'Don't worry about the supplies right now.' Bliss added hastily. 'Ivy made enough for three months, enough to last us even if Ash's stories about your "monstrous appetite" are true.'

May froze in mid-bite as her face turned red, half-angry and half-embarrassed. 'He is so going to _get it_.' Bliss waved her hand around, grinning.

'Don't worry though, Dawn told me his side of the story as well.'

May made a mental reminder to thank her blue-haired friend when they next met. Absently, she noticed that Bliss' expression was slightly different from her usual carefree one, as if she was uncomfortable with something. She looked at her food and was sure it wasn't the cause: it was delicious after all. Sneaking a glance at Pikachu, she noticed that the yellow rodent was also looking at Bliss with a curiously worried explanation. The Pokémon reminded her of its trainer...it felt good to have a part of him besides her.

'Um, are you alright? I've got some aspirin if you need any...' she asked, deciding it was better to take care of each other. Even if Bliss was one of the most powerful trainers in the world, even she could get sick. It wouldn't bode well for them if they were unprepared for any consequences of ill-health. Brock had advised her to keep medicine with her on her travels when she left for Johto, and she did hand onto to his every word.

Bliss waved her hand in dismissal, although she had a weak smile on her lips.

'I didn't really expect you to notice, although I think Pikachu might have.' She mused, reaching out to stroke the small Pokémon. 'I'll admit that I'm not feeling a hundred-percent, but it's not something to worry about.' She shook her head as May opened her mouth to protest. The younger coordinator sighed in defeat. She picked up Pikachu, who immediately snuggled besides her neck, lightly tickling the brunette coordinator. Bliss grinned and, ignoring her headache, grabbed her chance to tease the other coordinator.

'So May,' she asked innocently, 'I've not quite understood your relationship with Ash. Care to explain a little?'

May blinked a few times, processing what she just heard. Her relationship with Ash was pretty much obvious, wasn't it? They were good friends, bonded for life by some kind of crazy energy thing which she didn't really understand and ... well it was definitely not a _normal _friendship now, was it? Noticing the sudden stillness on her shoulder, it was clear that Pikachu was also interested in a topic which concerned its trainer. May began feeling very uncomfortable with the two sets of eyes on her. She could handle the massive crowd at the Grand Festival without a problem, why was this bugging her?

'W-Well we're really good friends and stuff. We care about each other a _lot_. ' May laughed nervously. 'He taught me how to handle myself and how to fight. He somehow made me love Pokémon even though I didn't like them at first. I guess there was something that made me want to travel with him and I kind of forced him to take him on his journey.' May sighed contently, remembering the incident where Pikachu fried her bike. Indeed the yellow rodent was nervously stroking its fur, obviously recalling that particular memory – not to mention two _other _bikes it had electrified. May noticed and gave Pikachu a friendly smile. 'If Pikachu hadn't destroyed my bicycle back then, I don't think that I'd be talking to you right now.'

'Mmm.' Bliss said, slowly standing up after resealing the food inside the Itemball. 'I wonder how these things happen, but it's kinda nice to know that they do.' She closed her eyes in reminiscence, wincing slightly as another urge to vomit hit her. 'I'm so glad I took a wrong turn the day I arrived at Sinnoh, otherwise I'd never have bumped into Meir and Cynthia.' May looked up questioningly, but Bliss just shook her head, mumbling "later".

It was then that, quite suddenly, bolts of lightning zipped across the shaded sky, filling the air with a surge of pure power. Both the coordinators held their ground, shielding their eyes from the intensity of the impulse. Gently, the ground began shaking, a premonition of a change in the landscape. Sure enough, the sono-porous walls of the area had moved about, creating a roughly arc-like second entrance into the inner part of the island. Throughout the day, the four trainers had merely been skimming on the outer circumference of the island, prevented from intruding further due to the walls blocking their path.

Now, May and Bliss had arrived at what apperead to be a gate, laced with silver and gold. Hearing a shrill "beep" as the lightning died down, Bliss kept one eye on the Pokémon which calmly stood guarding that gate. Reaching out into her bag, she pulled out her PDA, its screen displaying a simple _"?"_ which Meir had messaged.

Rolling her eyes at the briefness of the message, Bliss decided she only needed one word to reply as well. Taking out a Pokeball in one hand and motioning her younger partner to do the same, She, May and Pikachu assumed their battle stances. Typing out the word quickly, two trainers on the opposite side of the island received a shocking reply.

"_Raikou_" was all that the message said.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

AN: Sorry for the delay. I have exams coming up and have two years worth of Physics and Math to read for my October SAT. A few slight delays may be in order, but I'm positive that this fic will be finished by the end of this year.


	14. Blue Lightning

A/N: Finally managed to find a few hours to write this down. Here it is!

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Chapter Fourteen: Blue Lightning

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_Legendary Pokémon are often associated into trios and duos, so as to identify them as a group serving some higher purpose. Across generations, it has been a glaringly obvious fact that these rarely-seen and magnificent powerhouses are quite separate from the rest; they organize themselves into a rough hierarchy and are not led by mere instinct. _

_The Johto trio of Raikou, Suicune and Entei are slightly different in this respect as the original ones were said to have been created by Ho-oh itself. Using a yet unknown and apparently mystical method, the Rainbow Pokémon was stated to have revived three Pokémon from death. In Ho-oh's rage following the attack on the Tin Tower, legend claims that he had developed these three species himself – but it is widely believed to be simply a myth. In fact, there have been prehistoric records of the trio's sighting long before human civilization began, leading many researchers to believe that Ho-oh only acted as a mere catalyst which led to the species attaining their legendary status. _

_It is confirmed that the trio has multiple members of the same species, having a "Prime Trio" much like that with the Kanto-based legendary birds. Unlike the prime birds which can be found in the Orange Archipelago, the location of the Prime Trio is unknown, much like the knowledge of the Prime Ho-oh's whereabouts. _

_The physical prowess of the Legendary Beasts is said to be greater than that of the Birds, but is still below that of the Dragon Trio (Dialga, Palkia and Giratina) and the Origin Trio (Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza). _

_Preface to Ho-oh: The Evasive Legendary by S. Oak _

/\/\/\/\

Meir chuckled as he watched the young trainer literally drown into his meal. He was very lucky that Bliss had told him about their new travelling companion's hefty diet when he had stumbled upon Ivysaur working furiously in the Pokémon Center's kitchen. He didn't want to think about what _could _have happened if they hadn't brought their extra supplies: it would be heartbreaking to tell the young trainer to eat within rations due to limited food supplies. Even though he was a black hole when it came to food, he complimented it several times and it was – in a way – very endearing.

He sighed as he removed that thought from his mind. His senses were tingling again, and he was frustrated with waiting. All four of the quartet had expected that the team may be split up at some point of time, but Meir still found it difficult to organize his thoughts with the constant worrying about the other two of their party, as well as what was coming next. Ever since his installment as the Champion, he and Bliss never got to spend enough time together and it was all to exasperating to know that she was merely a kilometer away.

He watched absently as Ash finished his meal, and surprisingly went on to tidy everything up and put it back, ever so carefully, into the itemballs. Being out on the road for so long would force some habits into anyone, no matter how lazy or messy they were. Ash was very unlike himself, but they still got along really well. Even despite the age difference, they shared a common passion for Pokémon. That alone was enough to seal their friendship. Meir had found out that Ash had been very competitive, _un_like himself, from the moment he began his journey in Kanto. This was an interesting difference which he often noted between himself and many of the other top trainers of the world. He wasn't into competitive battling at first, and much like May, merely wanted to learn more about the world. It wasn't until a couple of run-ins with legendary Pokémon, and the coaxing of his blonde-haired travelling companion that he took up battling.

Ash looked at Meir expectantly until he realized he wasn't getting any response. He sharply flared his Aura (something that the older trainer had been teaching him on the road) which caused the other to jolt in surprise. Aura flaring was merely the creation of an acute pressure difference in the air, where the sudden suction would send a sharp pinching sensation to the other person: be they sensitive to Aura or not. Meir had asked him to use it whenever he got a little carried away by his thoughts – which turned out to be pretty often.

'Sorry.' Meir chuckled, rubbing the back of his hair in embarrassment. Ash just shook his head and got onto his feet. At first, he had been very conscious of Meir. After all, it sunk into his mind that he was travelling with the very person whose position he had so often dreamed of having. He was able to make out their similarities, but the difference in sheer power and intellect was daunting and very real. If Ash was the same as he was five years ago, he would have pestered him for a challenge. However, the more mature Ash of today had opted to analyze his future opponent calmly. It surprised him when he thought about how much his way of thinking had changed. It _had_ to change and _evolve _if he wanted to reach the next level.

The duo continued walking for a while, skirting the perimeter of the small lake which they had found. There were quite a few lakes here and there despite the small size of the island, fed by a myriad of small streams. The volcanic activity of the island coupled with the geological activity created temporary, natural "distillation zones" on the island which drew on water from an underground reservoir and purified it quite autonomously. It was just one of the small quirks about the island, and it was almost as if the miniature spot of land was carefully pieced together like an intricate, accurate clock.

Merely a minute into walking did Meir get the danger message from Bliss. Ash, being fanatically worried about both May and Pikachu, ran off towards the small thunderstorm with a rather serious-looking Meir in hot pursuit.

/\/\/\/\

'Raikou?' breathed May, looking in awe at the majestic legendary beast. The royal yellow Pokémon was looking directly at them, as if waiting for the duo to make the first move. Carefully, May extracted a Pokeball from her bag, seeing Bliss do the same out of the corner of her eye. She noticed that the lightning bolts created by the miniature storm were growing ever closer to them…but were carefully not targeting _them _directly.

'Pikachu,' Bliss said quietly, gaining the yellow Pokémon's attention, 'Do exactly as I tell you to, alright?' She never took her gaze away from the awaiting legendary in front of her, slowly walking towards the electric giant as she briefly passed May. Pikachu was quick to follow.

The electric rodent, on Bliss' instruction, was sending out a carefully-controlled Thunderwave to counter the effects of Raikou's lighting storm. Electricity, be it static or not, always tried to find the shortest route to bridge whatever difference of potential an object had accumulated. This fact led to a simple way to prevent the lightning from striking any of the trio. Bliss had Pikachu charge the damp air around them – weakly but continuously - making it have a higher potential than the ground, and thus a lower net charge difference. This would cause the lightning to ignore that small patch of land and instead strike the adjacent ground harmlessly. The only drawback to this was Pikachu's electricity totally ruining her and May's finely kept hair, but that was a sadly necessary sacrifice.

'Bliss! Wait!' May said, just as the older coordinator was about to release her Pokémon.

'What is it?' she asked, her eyes still on the electric giant in front of her.

'I..I don't think Raikou wants to fight us.' May began uncertainly. 'Remember what Lugia said about a "trial of grace" or something?'

The older coordinator didn't respond verbally, but nodded, finally letting her gaze fall away from the electrical legendary. It didn't take a genius to notice that Raikou's periodic lightning bolts were far from the random strikes of a natural thunderstorm. It was a carefully coordinated display – one which demonstrated the sheer power of electricity and the respect it commanded. Occasionally, small fires would occur at spots of dry vegetation, adding a sense of thrill and danger to the scene. The Pokémon stood at what seemed to be the centre of it all, seemingly ejecting tiny, but visible currents from its body, and charging itself as the lightning storm raged on.

'Beautiful…' Bliss whispered, her eyes widening in realization. May was right – they were coordinators and Ho-oh wanted to see how good they were. The display Raikou was putting on right now would have been enough to win a Grand Festival, as any battle fought with the powerful Legendary later would have no variation on its outcome.

That was it. They had to prove that they were better than Raikou – both in grace and in strength. But…how they supposed to do that?

'Pikachu, please stop your countershield.' Bliss requested. The yellow rodent, who had been continuously discharging itself, complied with the command. Bliss quickly worked on a basic Aura technique – the earthing shield. It was one of the first techniques which was taught to trainee Aura Guardians centuries ago – a virtual lightning rod that nullified electric-type attacks as long as an individual didn't get too close to it. This was a necessary precaution. Maybe Raikou didn't want to fight them, but electricity could never be trusted so easily. No one, not even a Legendary Pokémon could guarantee perfect control over something like that.

Bliss turned her head towards the left, seeing as how May had stepped forward to a position beside her. 'You're right.'

'Raikou doesn't want to fight?'

'No, it wants to see an electric show.' Bliss grinned. She took out a second Pokeball, putting her first one back in. 'Ever done an electric-type appeal before, May? It's time you do one right now.'

Bliss nodded at her two companions and they returned the gesture in understanding. They had to beat the Thunder Pokémon at its own game.

/\/\/\/\

'We're here!' announced Cynthia, in her usual cheerful, but quiet voice. The rest of her party wasn't so enthusiastic anymore, mostly because of the long (and very dusty) rock climb they had to suffer. Mysteriously enough, Cynthia didn't seem to have even an inch of dirt on herself, her golden hair was still shining as brightly as ever. When they asked her about it on their first stop ( which they had after a kilometer's ascent from the base ) she explained that it was due to a mild Aura shield, which she couldn't extend to the other due to it interfering with Garchomp's Rock Climb. Many groans and nearly a day full of Rock Climbs and resting later, they had arrived at the peak.

The groups grumblings were put to rest when Cynthia called out her Alakazam to use his Psychic and clean out the dust from all of them, acting like a human-dirt vacuum cleaner. The uneasiness of being "cleansed" in that unorthodox fashion soon turned to awe as they emerged into the sunlit peak, with a magnificent view (and a little hypoxia) of the Sinnoh region. Granted, they were unable to see the southern shoreline – Sinnoh was a large continent after all – but they could make out the distant lights of Eternia in the west and Celestic in the east, along with an artistically sculpted landscape which was a mixture of green, white and gray.

It was then that they realized how _cold _it was. Cynthia grinned as she handed them some very elaborate coats, getting a mixture of grateful and mean looks. Grateful for getting them something warm to wear, and mean for taking so long to give it to them. All of them proceeded onto their most obvious next destination – a brightly lit tunnel which had been quickly built for the extraction. Next to it was what looked like an ancient, treaded path – the original path that led up to the Spear Pillar, the summit of Mount Coronet.

Cynthia frowned. She had gotten used to maintaining her enhanced senses permanently, but she had to turn them "off" for the time being – she didn't want to feel like she was freezing to death in the icy landscape! She and the others never came to know that they were being watched as Team Galactic was already calling for reinforcements.

/\/\/\/\

'Stay as low as possible.' muttered Bliss, tossing her Pokeball into the air. Surprisingly enough, the small, yellow Pokémon that emerged from the ball landed gracefully on the ground, as if it was gliding through the lightning. A Coordinator needed to remain graceful under any circumstance – it seemed Bliss wasn't doing that as well as her tiny yellow furball. She blamed it on static electricity and how it totally messed up her hair.

'You have a Pichu?' asked May, surprised to see the yellow, energetic bob. Beside her, Pikachu looked onto its pre-evolutionary form with curiosity.

'Mmm.' acknowledged Biss, her eyes flickering between her electric-type, and the one they were up against. 'She's the offspring of my Ditto and Cynth's Raichu. Cynthia pretty much forced me to take an electric type – I've never had one before.'

Bliss was momentarily distracted by the beeping of her comm. device, revealing it to be a quick message from Meir, saying that they're on their way. Despite that assurance, Bliss knew that they had to finish the job quickly – the geological disturbances would be a real setback to the movements of their two companions. May nodded at Bliss, signaling her understanding. They would have to do this alone. It was _their _challenge.

'Pichu, let's start with a thunder! Point it upwards!' said Bliss, closing her eyes partly to visualize her electric appeal. With the huge static buildup around them, it was going to be difficult for the electric types to direct their attacks, which was an obvious setback. Pokémon controlled electricity by changing the alignment of magnetic diploes on their skin, particularly the electric types had developed locations to store charge which they accumulated by a gradual process of friction –with the wind. The exact details were unknown, but it was assumed to be done by an intricate system of ionizing their food and outer body fat. Raikou, being as large as it was legendary, easily created a charged atmosphere around itself, thereby limiting the electrical control that smaller Pokémon relied upon. Even ground-types, said to be immune to electric attacks, were vulnerable with the internal charge redistribution. Indeed, electricity could be very dangerous!

Pichu cooed in affirmative at her trainer's command, already charging up to shoot a Thunder attack into the clouds. This could do one of two things: if they were fortunate, it would neutralize the powerful charge distribution around them to some extent; on the other hand, it could very well give them a powerful jolt. Pikachu was rapidly trying to converse with May as its younger version was preparing to discharge. The blue-eyed coordinator seemed to vaguely understand him (not as well as Ash, but manageably), her eyes widening at the brilliance of the Pokémon's plan. When it came to electricity, Pikachu knew a whole lot more than she did, so she decided to go ahead with it – with a few modifications of her own pushed in: Her first electric appeal.

Eventually, Pichu managed to fire the Thunder into the air without problems. The yellow spark triggered a dazzling display of violet lightning bolts all across the sky as the small Pokémon's pale yellow light slowly faded away. Grunting in finding a satisfactory challenge, Raikou started walking ever close to the two coordinators, leaving the gate to the top of the valley blocked by a continuous electrical discharged – its own version of an electrified fence.

Roaring, the Legendary Pokémon extended the same electric "fence" in a wide circle, encapsulating itself, the coordinators and their Pokémon into an area that was neigh impenetrable.

'We're trapped!' exclaimed May. Somehow, it wasn't fear but excitement that pounded through her – the fence of electricity may be deadly but was an absolutely awe-inspiring sight to behold. The thin, controlled sparks seemed to weave themselves into an almost symphonic pattern, warming the area and becoming a lone beacon of light on the deserted island.

'Beautiful…' whispered Bliss, giving May a small nod. They were trapped, but they had a job to finish. At the younger coordinator's command, Pikachu leapt into action. The fortunate part about the yellow rodent was that it always obeyed Ash's friends, no matter what it was ordered to do (which included giving his trainer a jolt if he was being lazy). It created a strong bond of trust, and a sense of warmth – just like its trainer.

'Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!' commanded May, as the yellow rodent initiated the attack as per their plan. With a graceful leap, the electric type slowly formed a yellow, crackling sphere around itself; This appeal was inspired by the one that Ash had used in the Terracotta contest to great effect. Pikachu already knew how to do it, and May was free to modify it to her personal style. She had achieved considerable success in her second objective for which she went to Johto: eliminating her battle-influenced style to one more graceful and refined for contests. It was impossible to eliminate the old style which was derived from Ash's, completely. This created a new approach which she extended into her appeals as well – she showcased both brute force and speed (like her old form) _along _with her newly developed layer on top.

Bliss's eyes widened at the growing yellow sphere that was Pikachu. Cynthia had been correct in telling her that it was unique: probably as a consequence of Ash's aura leaking into the small Pokémon. She was also impressed at the fact that May had been able to follow the first, unspoken rule of contest appeals in these circumstances: the Pokémon, not the coordinator, should be the center of the appeals.

'Pichu, drill left! Use the trick you did in your first contest!'

The smaller yellow Pokémon wheeled around, looking attentively at her coordinator as she quickly relayed some instructions using complicated hand gestures. Bliss had developed this technique pretty early: teaching her Pokémon how to follow her hand movements to correspond to their actions. It was a simple solution to the problem of forgetting their appeals on stage, or to sort out an embarrassment due to a mishap.

Around the chaotically bouncing Pikachu, who was using his path to carve an intricate design on the ground using his spherical shell of electricity, Pichu began moving in a great circle which covered the entire pattern which Pikachu was carving with Raikou's help. Their objective wasn't to compete with the legendary Pokémon as they first thought. It was to help it carve a message into the ground, using a carefully contrived "electrical chisel", and by helping their Pokémon follow a path designed by Raikou using different intensities of electric and magnetic fields at different points.

Coding one circle after another, Pichu began to spring in and out of the various concentric shapes it had created to help in leveling and detailing them. A tinge of blue – Bliss' Aura – helped it cover the imperfections and miniature dents which it had missed. Eventually, as the sky became dark due to the sunset, the pattern was finally complete and both the trainers and Pokémon collapsed in exhaustion. Raikou carefully studied the result of their work, sending a small spark to the trainers, repressing their nervous systems to a state of unconsciousness, before disappearing into the sunset.

The last thing May heard before the shock sent her into unconsciousness were two voices shouting out her name, a pair of chocolate brown eyes … and darkness.


	15. Summit

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Chapter Fifteen: Summit

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

Over at the peak of Mount Coronet, things didn't seem to be going too well.

Cynthia and her group had arrived with cold blue feet at the extraction site, passing by the pillars and ruins of the old temple of Spear Pillar; the legendary abode of Dialga and Palkia. Of course, the space-time duo hadn't been seen at the peak for centuries, and Giratina rarely ever visited the real world at all. The group looked in awe at the sheer scale of the ancient temple. It must have been a monumental achievement to construct the temple in the days at the _peak _of Sinnoh's highest mountain without modern technology. Indeed, it was a wonder how the continent's ancient people had managed to build it at all!

Fortunately for the cold-footed group, they had devised a clever heating system that was still intact: the mountain itself. Mount Coronet was geologically quite active, although it was too thick and rigid for any visible volcanic activity. The tectonic shift that had initially joined the two halves of Sinnoh together had molded the mountain in a way that a tiny amount of magma could seep through, solidifying on its way out. This channel was tunneled to the Spear Pillar, and the floor was always warm as a result; devoid of snow when the weather was calm.

However, the situation wasn't quite as cheerful at the excavation site.

'Champion Cynthia, thank goodness you've arrived!'

The blonde and her companions turned their heads towards the voice's owner. It was the spectacled Sinnoh elite Lucian, and he looked uncharacteristically distressed. Following him were an assortment of excavators and archeologists. It was obvious that they were relieved at the champion's arrival.

The blonde's eyes seemed to regain an unseen focus, her demeanor becoming one of seriousness. 'What happened here Lucian?' Her eyes flickered towards the lit excavation site, looking for faults. Brock, Dawn and Drew were puzzled by the development. There didn't seem to be anything wrong, at least on the surface.

'The drills have burnt out.' replied Lucian, adjusting his spectacles. He looked rather exasperated about the whole situation. Even so, it was mellow compared to the excavation workers' obvious frustration. Cynthia's eyebrows narrowed, but did not comment and continued to lead the group silently into the warm cave. Overloading the drills was not exactly uncommon during excavation: at times the rock was too hard for the motor to take the strain, but the Elite trainer's distress was an indicator of some other, _greater _problem.

As they entered the excavation site, the extensive equipment and numerous ground-type pokémon came into view. The Rhydon and Machomp were in the corner next to the burnt drill, both taking turns at trying to penetrate the hard crystalline rock formation. It wasn't very effective, but the adjacent limestone was slowly coming off. In the very centre of the crystal formation was a dark black stone. Polished to a degree beyond any possible natural process, it glistened via its metallic luster. Undoubtedly, this was the Platinum orb. Unfortunately, it was encased by the enormous crystalline rock.

Cynthia knelt down to examine one of the large, broken drills with the others peering quietly over her shoulder. There was an obvious smell of burnt electronics, but there didn't seem to be a sign of _physical _sabotage. True to his specialty, Lucian seemed to have read her mind.

'I asked Alakazam about it.' he said quietly, absently turning the pages of his new book. He looked up to meet Cynthia's eyes briefly. 'There was nothing he could find…but-'

He paused as Cynthia shook her head. Inside, she was seething with anger. She _knew _who was responsible for this, but she had been tricked into thinking that she had disabled the Galactics' new-and-improved perception filter. She cleared her mind trying to figure out what to do next.

'How much time will it take to fix the drills and finish the excavation?' she asked.

'We've already cleared the large rock.' replied Lucian. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'The engineer says that the drills can be fixed in an hour or so, but we'll need to be very careful when we break that crystal. It might take a whole day.'

Cynthia sighed. She knew that the only chance they had was to extract the orb and get it to safety before the Galactics' managed to slow them down further. They'd probably attack and try to steal it as soon as the extraction team finished their jobs. She motioned her own team to come closer: this was going to need some good planning.

It was a good thing she had some dependable trainers with her.

/\/\/\/\/\

Her body felt sore as she slowly came to her senses. She wished she hadn't. It was a feeling of partial paralysis and she was unable to move freely, her crisp hair rubbing against the soft mat. Eventually, she managed to open her eyes, letting out a soft groan as the world slowly came into focus.

It was quite dark and obviously night time. The young coordinator tried pushing her hand on the ground in an effort to sit upright, only to be gently, but firmly pushed back down.

'Don't get up May.' said Ash, his raven hair coming into her line-of-sight. The yellow-black ears of his companion were right beside him and hopped onto her stomach as if reinforcing his point. May gave a groan of annoyance, clearly communicating that she _was _well enough to – on a second thought, she did feel rather uncomfortable around her spine, her back felt like it had been wrapped in an invisible plaster. Was this an effect of Raikou's electricity?

'Meir gave you a Paralyze Heal, but it'll take a while for it to work.' Ash shrugged. 'Bliss seemed to be alright though; it was like Raikou was aiming at you for some reason.' The trainer seemed to have a thoughtful tone in his voice, something rather out of the ordinary for him. Of course, he was obviously _angry _at the legendary Pokémon for hurting her, but managed to avert that thought from affecting his judgment. He turned to face her with a look of concern. 'Does it hurt May?'

The coordinator managed to shake her head. She felt uncomfortable but was not in actual pain. Pikachu proceeded to slowly climb off May's abdomen, walking towards his trainer. May pouted slightly, it was nice to have Pikachu's warm fur close to her. She slowly managed to open her mouth and finally found her voice.

'H-How long?' she whispered, her voice was rough due to the dryness of her throat. Ash's eyes widened as he noticed this and quickly reached for May's bottle, helping her handle it.

'A few hours maybe. Don't worry about it!' he replied, taking the bottle back as the coordinator managed to sip a few gulps. He nodded to Pikachu and the yellow Pokémon hopped onto the trainer's shoulder. His eyes silently conveyed that he was going to inform Meir about her condition; the coordinator blinked and gave a small nod of understanding. May felt the warmth of the duo leave her, and was enveloped by the cool tropical breeze. Under the faint moonlight, she was able to discern a few of the lines made by the freshly burnt grass. It was Raikou's little 'message', but was too dark to see. Sighing, she closed her eyes, silently wondering exactly _why _the Legendary had tried to electrocute her. Then again, it wasn't particularly painful, nor did the electricity leave the slightest burn mark on her skin (although it did a number on her hair). It seemed to be a paralysis technique rather than a lethal attack.

She opened her eyes again as she heard three pairs of footsteps slowly making their way towards her. Meir looked rather exhausted, supporting a partly-paralyzed Bliss (who gave May a small smile nonetheless) while Ash and Pikachu sprinted ahead. Disregarding Ash's advice, she slowly lifted herself up, pushing on the ground for support. Wincing at the pain as her bones readjusted themselves, the coordinator managed to sit comfortable, although not quite able to get up.

'You look terrible.' said Meir, earning him a small punch from Bliss and a glare from Ash. May knew that he was being honest, but was too tired to really care, and gave him a small nod. Meir grunted as he rubbed his forehead focusing on putting his wife down. Bliss gave May a weary but triumphant grin.

'You were really good May.' She remarked, settling down next to the said coordinator. 'I think that Raikou was jealous so she gave you a bigger jolt.'

Despite being unable to really move, May felt a blush creeping up her face. She was used to receiving praise for her skills, but hearing a compliment from Bliss was something else, even if she was doing it to lighten the mood. Feeling her muscles slowly loosen up, she pushed against the ground, trying to get up. Ash noticed immediately and sighed in resignation, helping her up. Standing was painful, but bearable – she couldn't let her minor injuries slow everyone down…she had to show a little strength.

'We need to rest, and I've found a good clearing.' announced Meir, as he noted May's ability to stand.

'Ash, help May move alright?' said Bliss, also standing up, 'We should get going.'

The quartet moved across the burnt geometric puzzle, taking care not to disturb the burnt patches which contained Raikou's message. May was able to walk, but she still needed support despite her proclamations to the contrary – something that Ash refused to comply to. The sky was still dark as an aftermath of Raikou's thunderstorm, but the next day would bring light to whatever needed to be done.

The first challenge seemed to be over.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

'Slightly to the left…a little more – there!' said Dawn, guiding Piplup as the small pokemon carefully aimed its small, but powerful jet of water.

The activity at the excavation site was finally picking up again, after a frustrating round of malfunctions and general helplessness. The burnt drills had somehow gotten worse over time, and were well beyond repair. It was obviously _not _anatural state of affairs. Both Cynthia and Lucian could tell that it was clear sabotage, as did the other members of the Sinnoh Champion's group. However, there were numerous inner tunnels which led up to the Spear Pillar – backdoor entrances constructed by the temple's creators. Fortunately, they had been working on a plan to divert the attention of their hidden adversaries.

Bliss, Dawn and Brock had come up with different ways they could use their Pokemon to help the dig team chip away at the surrounding rocks. It wasn't that difficult to begin with, but require ever greater precision as they centered in on the Platinum Orb. It wasn't as if the ancient artifact could be easily damaged; the true reason was that it acted as the central pillar of the cave. The extraction had to be done with careful planning and precision, or they risked the entire tunnel collapsing.

This was a good diversion tactic, as the two Elite Sinnoh trainers had managed to sneak away (hopefully unnoticed). Alas, Lucian's psychic detection attempts were unsuccessful.

'The Platinum Orb's aura is giving off too much background radiation.' Lucian explained as he and Cynthia wandered through the depths of the Mount Coronet's tunnel network. The psychic specialist's Alakazam was having no luck finding a coherent source of human-produced mental signatures.

'Hmm... I thought that psychic techniques were based on the mental makeup of the target and not their Auras.' Cynthia replied, her eyes still focused on the dark interiors of the cave.

'While that is true for most psychic attacks, _detection _involves using Aura as an amplification factor.' Lucian paused to gather his thoughts. Cynthia gave the Elite trainer a brief glance, obviously wanting an explanation. If Aura was used as an amplification factor, she might be able to use some to help them overcome the background noise. It was evident that the psychic-type trainer was thinking along the same lines.

'The human mind is an electrochemical network and generates magnetic _patterns _over five "bands" or ranges of frequencies.' Lucain explained. 'Its more-or-less the same for most Pokémon as well. However, the problem is that thoughts can hardly be "sensed" over large distances.'

'Of course,' replied Cynthia, 'our brains' magnetic fields are really weak. Psychic types use this fact to their advantage and overpower the mental defenses of other Pokémon. They are weak against Ghost-types as they lack a physical neural network.'

Lucian looked up, visibly impressed, but not surprised; it was to be expected that the Sinnoh Champion would know the specifics of how psychic-type attacks actually worked. Knowledge was a key ingredient for victory in any Pokémon battle. The spectacled lavender-haired Elite voiced both their thoughts, 'We can use your aura to override the background radiation.' He casually selected a Pokeball from his belt and threw it, revealing his giant steel "Bell".

'My Bronzong', he pointed to the newly-emerged psychic/steel-type, 'should be able to detect the radiation emitted by the Platinum orb. You can amplify the strength of the strongest frequency which can resonate with the human brainwave.' Noting his trainer's command, the bronze-bell Pokémon began ringing a low-pitched tone, inaudible to the human ear. It changed frequency of its ring periodically and stopped when it found a match. Naturally, this was a _psychic _waveform – _not_ a sound wave. Communicating its findings to his trainer, Lucian nodded in understanding.

'The Orbs emits something close to the theta wave: around five cycles every second. You should be able to push a little aura into Bronzong, and he can amplify that frequency and note its echo.'

Cynthia nodded. 'It's like psychic sonar, more or less.' She put her hand on the Pokémon's cold, metallic body and hesitated. 'They could find us the same way, you know?'

'They probably already know we're here, champion.' Lucian replied quietly. 'And besides,' he gave a small smile, 'you're probably the only reason why they haven't attacked yet.'

Cynthia shook her head. 'At times like this, I wish we had Lance's dragons to sniff them out and wreck the place.' She frowned sighing internally. She hated it when he did that, although he had gotten better with his involvement in the G-squad. Shaking off those thoughts, she focused on Bronzong, pushing a little of her own Aura to supplement the psychic-types detection abilities.

A minute later, the two Elite trainers were speeding off towards the intruders, following the bronze-bell Pokémon inside the dimly lit (but rather warm) caves of Mount Coronet.

The Platinum Orb would take another day to extract, and another to transport. It would need to be protected for a _little _longer…

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A/N: In neurology, EEG (Electroencephalography) is a way of diagnosing brain activity and its response to stimulus, and used in cognitive science and psychology research. The brain's electromagnetic activity occurs over five bands of frequencies (the simple term for them is "brainwaves"). The brain's magnetic activity is a hundred times weaker than that of the earth, requiring specialized equipment to detect and monitor.


End file.
